Insult of the Right Hand
by Kitt Chaos
Summary: Castlevania crossed sideways into Vampire Hunter D. I had to! D meets one of his 'siblings'.
1. Default Chapter

So here I go again. I have an idea of where this little fiction is going to go, but I'm free-wheeling it right now. 

I thought it might be more interesting to post this one in chapters as I write it as long as it doesn't get too undisciplined. And don't let the intense beginning fool you! I've been writing too many 'angsty' fictions lately, I plan to have fun with this one! ^_~ 

Please, read and review, tell me what you like and what you don't, what works and what flops. 

Insult of the Right Hand 

"This time," D crouched over the dead mutant and calmly sliced its head off, "Kindly stay dead." 

"What is that, the fourth, fifth time you've had to kill him?" Left Hand asked. 

"Fifth," D replied. 

"You tried decapitation last time." 

"Yes. I think I will eviscerate him too," D commented. 

"I was going to suggest boiling oil," Left Hand chimed in. 

"No pot," D responded succinctly. 

"It was a joke," Left Hand protested. 

"Oh," D said flatly, in the tone that usually made Left Hand shut up for a while. 

D began the rather gruesome task of disemboweling the dead mutant. Even as he cut into the flesh, he could see it trying to regenerate itself. He had no idea why the mutant was so dead set on killing him, but he wished it would just cut its losses and stop. Perhaps if he took all the organs far enough away, the damn thing couldn't regenerate itself. 

"YOU!" a whisper thickly curdled with hate sounded behind him. 

D whirled from his crouch to an upright position with his gory sword poised to either attack or defend. 

"What?! Another one?! We haven't even finished with this one yet!" Left Hand complained. 

"Not my lucky day," D agreed. He didn't recognize his accuser. 

He did recognize his race however. Silvery-white hair flowed down the man's back. His features were the unearthly beauty only one of vampire blood could possess. He held a gently curved sword, not as long as D's own, in a guard position. The balance and stance told D that this was indeed a puissant swordsman. D finally looked into the man's face. The dark eyes that met his narrowed, then blazed red. 

"DIE!" 

The attack was remarkably fast and utterly graceful. His attacker's reach was shorter than his, but D still found the sword whistling uncomfortably close before his parry caught the blade. He was fatigued, still regenerating his injuries from the cowardly ambush of the dead mutant, but still... D considered that he might have found a match for his skill in this unknown attacker. 

Mentally D shook himself out of his fight against the plodding but durable mutant, to reset for this lithe, swift swordsman. 

They fought in deadly earnest, but their skills were so closely matched it was almost as if they were dancing rather than dueling. Time and again D would reach forth with an attack that should have scored a hit on his opponent, only to find that the silver-haired swordsman had somehow anticipated his move and begun to dodge even as D attacked. Several times he, following the battle instincts he had trusted for years, found himself dodging attacks early too. 

"What?! What is going on here?" the mysterious opponent finally asked, "It is like you know my move before I begin it! And you are so silent. I expected more taunting from you!" 

He glared with frustration right into D's eyes before performing an incredible back flip, turning into mist at the top of his jump and drifting away. 

"A vampire," D noted out loud, "But there are no vampire strongholds near here." 

"No, that was a dhampir," Left Hand claimed, "He wasn't a full-blood." 

"A dhampir?" D had met other dhampirs in the course of his centuries-long hunt. Simply because they were as he was, he remembered them all. This silver-haired swordsman was unknown to him. 

"He acted like he knew me," D mused. 

"Not too well if he expected you to chatter during a battle," Left Hand observed, "I think he has you confused with someone else." 

D recalled the look of frustration and loathing the dhampir had given him before escaping. 

"He will be back." 


	2. Sleeping Beauty

Here's Part 2. This section is very raw, so expect major tweaking! ^_^   
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He tossed in his sleep. As always, memories assaulted him in the guise of dreams. A castle rose from the earth, full to the brim with the horrors and terrors he strove to protect his mother's people from. As always, the final confrontation in that castle tore at his heart. After his victory he would seek out a quiet place where he could sleep undisturbed until he was needed to defeat his father again. 

He called it sleep, but it was more of a living death. He wouldn't eat or wake. He barely breathed. But he did dream. 

And those dreams had always been full of the regret that he was what he was, a son of Dracula, and further, that he felt such a strong responsibility, almost a geas, to protect the humans of his mother's race from Dracula's evil plans. 

His mother had loved Dracula. Even though he set himself against his father's plans, he did too. Enough, at any rate, to accept a living death so he could stop his father when Castlevania rose every one hundred years instead of questing to find a more permanent solution. 

Furthermore, as long as he slept, he could protect the world from his own tainted blood. He wasn't certain he could deny the urge to drink, the bloodthirst, if he tried to live among humans. 

So his life had fallen into a pattern he considered tragic, placing him between so many worlds at once he hoped he wouldn't go mad. He was half-vampire and half-human. He slept, not quite alive, but not yet dead, in a place apart from humans to protect them from his own urges. The same power of Dracula's presence that forced Castlevania to rise would wake him. He'd become more sensitive to the emanations of his father's power over the centuries, so that he would 'wake' earlier to spare the humans more pain. 

He always hoped someone would come, someone like Maria perhaps, and somehow break the loneliness for him. If she had asked after that rising he might have had a chance to find what his father had found. A companion...maybe even love. In his more wry dreams, he admitted he had become something of a sleeping beauty, like the story his mother had read to him once, but it would take a heroine, not a hero, to wake him from his slumber. A heroine, or the advent of his father's castle again. 

He had always longed for someone to open the coffin he slept in, for something other than Dracula's presence to wake him; but he never would have wished for what actually happened. 

"Another noble idiot?! What's his story, I wonder..." 

"No way! You have GOT to be kidding me! That's the stupidest one yet! I can't stand it!" 

His heavy, stone coffin lid had been slid aside. He knew someone was looking down on him as he started to wake from that strange sleep he willingly endured. He knew that only fifty years had passed since his last waking. 

"Oh, geez! Another pretty, noble, tragic, full of angst one...AURGH!" 

He'd come out of his sleep enough to open his unfocused eyes. He saw a face only an inch from his, glaring madly into his light-dazzled eyes. 

"Wakey, wakey!" Something bit his nose. 

He'd risen up, fully awake at that. 

"Who are you?! Why did you wake me?!" he demanded, "Why did you bite me?!" 

"Why would you uselessly sleep your life away when there is so much rich hunting around here?" the man sitting on the edge of his coffin crossed his ankles and fussed with the drape of his cloak, "I haven't seen this many oblivious humans this close to one of the blood ever! It's disgraceful!" 

"Don't! Don't harm them!" he sprang up at that and looked around for his sword. 

"Oh? Your sword? I have it, I didn't want you attacking me," the intruder rose languidly and approached. His lazy advance sparked no alarm. A wide brimmed hat, decorated with fancy gems and an insanely long scarlet feather shadowed his eyes and a floor length dark blue cloak obscured his form. 

"Your name is Alucard," the intruder declared, laying one hand gently on Alucard's cheek. Alucard nodded silently, "And you spend you life in a half-aware living death except for those few days, or weeks, every century when you rise to defeat Dracula," the man looked down into Alucard's eyes with a soft blue gaze. 

Alucard nodded again. 

"Idiot!" the intruder into the sanctuary pinched Alucard's cheek before whirling playfully away, "I didn't notice you the first time I came here. I was just waiting for the birth of my child this time when I felt your emanation!" 

Alucard just then noted the long sword on his intruder's back and wondered again where his own sword was before the words sunk in. 

"Emanation? Child?" 

The intruder smiled, baring fangs as he did so, "Yes, emanation, little brother. I am a son of Dracula too, so I sensed you. And child... My goal is to have a child in every world that daddy dearest did, so on my last visit..." he let his sentence trail of leadingly. 

Alucard saw red at that. 

"No! You would prey upon humans as father does?!" 

"'Prey'? 'Father'? Honestly, you are much too serious! Don't worry...Alicia was not harmed in any way. I didn't even change her. In fact, I made her quite happy if I do say so myself! But she's had her child now, a healthy nephew for you, little brother, so I must be on my merry way!" 

"Wait!" 

"Catch me if you can, little brother! This will be more fun than just waiting until that stupid castle rises again, you know?" the intruder whirled madly on one heel as blue light sparkled all around him. He vanished. Alucard's sword and a strange multi-colored gem were all that remained. 

Alucard reached up at a tickling sensation and pulled back fingers tinged with blood. The tip of his nose throbbed where the intruder had bitten him. 

"Who the hell was that?!"   



	3. Fee, Fi, Fo Fum!

Author's notes - 

I'm having a rough time with the transitions. I know where I want this beast of a story to go, it's the getting it there that's hard! >_ I apologize for the choppy flow. Hopefully, as the story develops (and I have a chance to rewrite and tweak) it will smooth out a bit. 

I have a concept in the back of my head for naming each of the chapters for something from a fairy tale, but I'm not certain that's going to work for the entire story. 

D's horse. He has it of course, I'm just not sure how to write it in! Or maybe he's between mounts? Does that fly? 

Oh! And I do read the reviews and emails! It is most helpful when you point out awkward phrasing or unclear writing. Thank you, please continue to do so! ^_^ 

*sweatdrop* If you guys follow me through this chapter... *shakes head* It's a bit weird even though one part makes me ROFL!   
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*UPDATE* Just fixed the omission Cyberkat pointed out in the reviews. Thank you! ^_^ 

Chapter Three - Fee, Fi, Fo, Fum! 

D reflected upon the last two weeks after he made camp for the night. The insane, regenerating mutant hadn't reappeared. D hoped it was gone for good. However, he had the furious, unknown dhampir taking its place. D did not recognize the dhampir at all, so he had no idea what he'd done to tick him off. There had been eight attacks since the first one. Even though D was the more skilled warrior of the two of them, the dhampir had the ability to turn into a mist D's sword couldn't touch, and thus had escaped each battle when D finally battered through his defenses. 

One odd thing was that it was D, not Left Hand, who seemed to sense the proximity of the dhampir first. That had never happened before. Fighting against the dhampir was strange too. Somehow D just knew what the dhampir's attacks were a split second before they began. This sense made it easy to dodge or deflect the dhampir's attacks, which would have been a great advantage, if D didn't share it with his opponent. The dhampir seemed to sense D's moves early in the same way. 

"What are you thinking about so hard?" Left Hand asked. 

D grunted. 

"It's that upstart dhampir, isn't it?" 

D grunted again. 

"You're the better swordsman," Left Hand offered. 

One of the silences that was the most common communication between the two of them followed the comment. 

"Every time you have him though, he turns into mist," Left Hand continued. 

"That is unbelievably annoying," D agreed. 

"Next time, follow the mist and let me handle it," Left Hand offered. D knew what Left Hand would do if he heeded that suggestion. He found himself seriously considering it. He was weary of being the target of an attacker he didn't even know! 

D halted the next day as a familiar tingling crept across his spine. He made certain his cloak wouldn't hinder his hand when he went for his sword and waited for the attack. 

"Above," Left Hand said in a low voice. 

"I know," D replied tersely. 

He sidestepped the first attack, whirled his cloak out of his way and drew his sword just in time to accept a crashing blow against the blade. 

"Dammit!" the dhampir cursed. 

D said nothing as he parried, deflected and countered the furious attacks. His curiosity was piqued. He wondered why the dhampir was so intent on fighting him as he battled D with such passion. Weary of this encounter, D switched to the offensive. 

It really wasn't fair, but D used his height to overbear his smaller opponent and lay him flat out on his back on the ground. While the dhampir struggled to find his bearings and regain his feet, D set his sword on a great two-handed slashing arc. D had a split second to think that perhaps he had decisively won this battle before the dhampir turned into mist on him again. 

"No!" D shouted as the mist began to drift away. 

D pulled the glove from Left Hand and leapt into the mist. 

Left Hand inhaled, drawing all of the dhampir's misty form in. D watched morbidly as Left Hand chewed acting all the while as if he were dining upon the finest gourmet meal. 

"Well, that's that," D finally said, preparing to put his glove back on. 

"Ngg!" Left Hand grunted, scrunching its eyes closed tight. 

Surprised, D looked down into Left Hand's face. "What's wrong?" 

"Ngggg!" Left Hand opened his mouth and let the mist float out again. It floated weakly to the ground and coalesced into the solid dhampir again. 

"What?!" D demanded. 

"You have no idea...how hard...that was!" Left Hand gasped. 

"He's too much for you?" 

"No...I could consume him if you wanted. He's very powerful and his soul has a sweet taste." 

D grimaced slightly. 

"Letting all that mildly sweet power go is what was hard!" Left Hand told him, "What a nice meal he'd be!" Left Hand sighed regretfully, "But you'd probably get mad at me. He's not evil." 

"What?!" D asked again, "Are you sure?" 

"Yeah, I'm sure. He isn't evil. I'd taste it if he were." 

D watched as the dhampir got weakly to his knees. "What did you do to him?" 

"Oh, I wasn't about to let such a nice morsel go without sampling!" Left Hand cackled. D glared at his hand, "I took some of his power which weakened him some so he couldn't turn into mist on you and escape again. I know you hate that. You should be able to talk with him and find out why he's attacking you. Stop glaring at me already, D!" 

"We'll discuss this later," D warned, before dropping to one knee next to the dhampir. 

"You...that thing let me go," the defeated dhampir observed slowly, glowering with loathing at Left Hand. Left Hand winked and made a kissy face at him. D smacked his leather glove against Left Hand's face sharply before drawing the glove on. 

"It assures me you aren't evil," D explained, offering a hand, his right hand, to help his opponent to stand again. Left Hand grumbled until D closed his left hand tightly against its mouth in warning. 

"No...I'm not. And that thing," the dhampir shuddered, "It's in your _left_ hand?" 

D held up his gloved hand showing that Left Hand did in fact reside in his left hand. The dhampir looked deeply into D's face and eyes, then glanced up at D's hat and down at his cloak. D noticed that, for the first time, red fire didn't spark in the dhampir's eyes. 

"I think I may have mistaken you for someone else," he finally admitted. D's eyebrow raised at that. He thought his appearance was pretty distinctive! 

"Explain." 

The dhampir slumped over unconscious instead. 

"Oops!" Left Hand squeaked, "I took a little too much!"   
  



	4. Getting to Know You

Author's notes - 

Aurgh! It's getting too angsty! >_ And it's getting tricky to keep D and Alucard in character. (FYI - I spent the weekend replaying Castlevania because I was pretty sure I had D's personality bleeding *ha, ha!* into Alucard's. With any luck, and my memory jogged, Alucard will not be just a pale copy of D.) 

I wasn't trying to torture you with finally getting D and Alucard on the same page in the story, but it seems to me that each of them would not be willing to trust the other simply on the basis of shared blood. I'd expect they'd be rather wary with each other, especially since neither of them would actually talk openly about anything as mushy as trust or feelings! 

I apologize too...there are chapters I need to write after this one but before the next one gelling in my mind and they just aren't coming to me! I feel like I'm reaching for mist that I can't hold. Oh, and the fairy tale titles for the chapters didn't pan out!   


**Chapter 4 - Getting to Know You**

  
Alucard waited, in the half-dead, mostly unaware sleep in which he spent the majority of his life. He waited for the glow, the spark of presence that let him know Dracula had returned. He wondered what it would be like if he were free of the duty to protect the mostly helpless humans from his father's plans. What would it be like to be free to choose his destiny? 

Such ponderings had troubled him in past sleeps, but now...knowing there was another like him, a son of Dracula, who felt no responsibility at all toward humans... Could he just...wake and live? Would it be so wrong for him to let the humans fend for themselves? There was Richter Belmont, or his son now, more than three hundred years ago there had been Trevor Belmont. Some humans were capable of dealing with his father. Would it be so selfish of him to let humans care for themselves so that he, Alucard, could actually live his life and not sleep it away? What would he do if he were indeed to rise and live? 

His..."brother" seemed to enjoy life, traveling worlds, seeking pleasure and endeavoring to sow his seed as widely as Dracula had. Alucard never suspected he had a brother. Evidently, when Castlevania was not present in Alucard's world, Dracula was active in another. Alucard wondered how many worlds had been touched by the shadow of Dracula and how many siblings he had. 

He'd met one. The rude person waking him untimely from his sleep, taunting him for the choices he made, making him second-guess his destiny. That was his brother. 

He recalled the moment he first laid eyes on him. The veil of sleep had been so hard to part until pain woke him. That first vague memory...a face...leering down into his. White...a white face... 

But his brother didn't have a white face, Alucard realized. Pale, yes, but stark, dead white? No... There hadn't been anyone else in his sanctuary though. And even though he'd never seen the white face before, it seemed familiar... 

Alucard's sleeping mind delved further into his memories. Familiar...the white face waking him had been familiar... 

No! It was the other face that was familiar to the white one! A grotesque face, opening its mouth wide and...capturing him! His mist form which had always been a strength for him had been turned against him. It was too weak to resist the oblivion behind the face. He was fading, dissolving, dying... 

"Aurgh!" Alucard sat up suddenly, vaulting upright in a physical echo of wresting himself from his memory-laden sleep. He wasn't alone. 

"You are awake, good," the person who looked like his taunting brother commented as he added more wood to the fire. Alucard didn't recognized the camp he found himself in. 

"Uhhh...!" Alucard touched his head gingerly as pain seemed to split his skull. The man came over and knelt at his side. 

"Drink," he commanded, holding a cup of water to his lips. Alucard drank, then his suddenly heavy eyelids closed and the pain eased a little. 

"You will sleep again," Alucard heard as soft blackness rushed up to claim him again, "I will keep watch until you are recovered." 

"He's pretty strong to have waken so soon," this comment was in a grating voice. Alucard struggled against the drug he'd been given enough to open his eyes again. That hideous little face ogled him curiously. 

He couldn't help it, his confused dreams were too close to the surface of his mind. He recoiled in horror and would have toppled except for the arm that came swiftly around his shoulders to steady him. He looked up into an impassive face and muted understanding in piercing blue eyes. 

"I'll give you something to stare at!" While supporting Alucard with his right arm, the man ground his own left hand, and that weird little face, against the dirt. 

"Will you behave?" he asked, pinning his hand to the ground. 

"Yemmph!" the response was muffled. 

"Okay then. See that you do!" 

"Left Hand won't try to harm you while you recover," the promise came in a lightly disinterested voice, but Alucard trusted it anyway. 

"Left Hand..." Alucard repeated slowly, the blackness rushing to claim his consciousness again, "And you? Your...name...?" Against his will, his eyes closed. 

D laid the dhampir down on the ground and covered him against the chill night air with a fine black cloak. 

"My name is D," he replied, though he knew the dhampir was unconscious again. D decided to wait here until the dhampir was fully recovered from Left Hand's attack. Mainly because it was the right thing to do, as it was Left Hand who had so weakened him, but also... 

There was that feeling, almost like a buzzing in the back of D's mind. Whenever this dhampir was near, somehow D sensed it. It wasn't the same, but it reminded him strongly of the feeling he had whenever his father, Dracula, was near. D suspected he knew what this feeling meant, but his curiosity was such that he wanted to confirm it. 

----- 

"'Ware," Left Hand said in a low tone. D woke completely at the warning. Through slitted eyes he could see that the 'guest' in his camp was awake and more, up and wandering about. It was true D had tended to him after Left Hand's attack, so logically there should be a respite from further attacks from the dhampir, but he had learned many times to take nothing for granted. Especially from those of vampire blood. So he waited, feigning sleep, to see what the dhampir would do. 

The dhampir moved soundlessly about the camp, seemingly scoping it out as he ran straightening fingers through his long silver hair. Finally he took up the bucket and wandered off through the trees. The sound of flowing water was barely audible, just as D liked it, so he suspected the dhampir was heading toward the stream to wash up, as he left his sword and cloak behind. 

It seemed a good time to rouse himself, so that they would be on equal terms. Perhaps D could finally sort out why the dhampir was attacking him. 

If not for the familiar tingling in his spine, D would never have known that he had returned, he moved that quietly. D turned and looked at the dhampir assessingly under the brim of his hat. 

He could see Dracula in his features. The stamp of D's sire was there in the brow as well as the angles of the cheekbone and jaw line. There was a softer influence as well, probably from the dhampir's human mother. Despite the fact that he was newly recovered from Left Hand's attack, the dhampir held himself composed, assessing D with level, dark grey eyes. 

"Name?" D asked. 

"Alucard. You?" 

"D." 

They regarded each other warily for a long moment. 

"You've been tracking me and attacking me. Why?" D asked simply. 

That grey-eyed gaze assessed D again. 

"I mistook you for someone else. I am sorry." 

This Alucard was proud. His apology was sincere, but not groveling or begging forgiveness. It was up to D to accept it or reject it. 

"No harm done." 

Alucard's gaze flicked to Left Hand before returning to D's face. 

"True. No harm done." 

And that was that. Honor had been satisfied on both sides, they could each go their separate ways. But...D was curious. Was there someone else who so closely resembled him that Alucard would mistakenly attack him again and again? And that feeling, that sense...D didn't even know how to bring that up... 

"Maybe you can help me," Alucard asked suddenly. D lifted a brow noncommittally. 

"I have a gem that looks like one of yours. It was left..." Alucard actually blushed slightly. D hadn't been sure one of vampire blood could do that! 

"It resembles your gem. The one in your hat," Alucard finished uncomfortably. 

"May I see it?" 

----------------- 

D turned the gem over in his hand as he pondered Alucard's story. Some person, resembling D, had waken Alucard from his sleep, taunted him and left, leaving behind this gem as something of a calling card. Perhaps there was magic involved, making an illusion of D to entice Alucard into attacking him. Alucard claimed the gem had brought him here, where he sensed D's presence just as D sensed his. Wishing to not only protect the humans of his world, but also to gain a measure of satisfaction for the premature awakening, Alucard had attacked D. It seemed obvious that is what the person wanted. The purpose behind such a plot was still unknown. 

"The person who woke me," Alucard was very uncomfortable for some reason, "He was rude. Obnoxious even. He claimed to be traveling all the worlds Dracula did for the sole purpose of begetting young in each one." 

"What?!" 

"That is what he said," Alucard confirmed. 

"That is..." D stopped. 

"Human/vampire hybrids..." Alucard likewise couldn't complete the statement. 

"He must be stopped. Whoever he is. Whatever it takes," D finally declared. 

Alucard nodded. 

"I don't wake easily from my long sleep," Alucard told him, "So I'm not certain if I can trust my memory. But I think...the bite I received...was from an entity living in his _right_ hand." 

"Right hand?" 

Alucard nodded, "You weren't born with that...thing, were you?" 

"Hey!" Left Hand complained about being referred to as a thing. D shoved his left hand into his provision pouch. Muffled munching noises followed. 

"No." D declined to elaborate. 

Alucard shrugged, "So maybe this person acquired...whatever that thing is the same way you did. For whatever reason." 

"Perhaps." 

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Reviews, comments and constructive criticisms are always welcome! Please feel free to email me also if you see something awkward that needs to be clarified or fixed. I need all the help I can get! 

stargarde@stargarde.com 

Next Chapter teaser - Your face is familiar, I just can't place the name! 


	5. New Places, Familiar Faces

Author's notes - 

Hi, everyone. Sad news. My home pc died. Unless a miracle occurs tonight when I try to repair it (and I am by no means hardware savvy at all!) I'm probably going to be limited to access only during the workday. And of course, writing with pen and paper which slows me down. And I'm not able to buy a new pc right now. :( 

I'm so sorry. 

But here's the next chapter. Please be kind, it's definitely raw and some of the concepts are still gelling. I know this chapter is going to need lots of editing attention! 

I have NO idea why I'm being so mean to Alucard. I swear, I really do like him! ^_^   


**Chapter Five - New Places, Familiar Faces**

"Ambush!" Left Hand shouted, just as the woods around D and Alucard erupted in fur, fangs and claws. 

"A bit more warning would have been nice!" Alucard snapped as he drew his sword. 

D said nothing as Alucard had already voiced the complaint he would have. Left Hand was normally more useful! D drew his own sword and felt an increase in his awareness of Alucard's proximity and wondered at that, but put it aside as the first wave of...whatever they were attacked. 

The creatures were covered in dun and olive toned fur, baring sharpened fangs with their gruesome smiles. Impressive claws threatened from both front limbs and hind, and the creatures appeared to be equally dexterous with both sets. The gorilla-like things cut off any escape, surrounding D and Alucard both on the ground and in the trees above them. 

One larger creature launched itself in a flat dive at Alucard with slashing claws leading as another one dropped from a tree branch trying to catch D under its weight. As if it were a signal, the rest of the creatures attacked as well. D and Alucard whirled away from the preliminary attacks with an unplanned simultaneity and something snapped. 

It was a bizarre sensation. D felt as if he were looking with not only his own eyes, but Alucard's as well. Somehow, this dual vision didn't disorient him. He had a sense of what Alucard's battle instincts were also, as Alucard's sword snaked out and severed a tendon on the leg of one of the creatures, even as D's own sword sliced down lopping off a head. 

Alucard's eyes met D's in a shocked glance. In a timeless moment, D smiled very deliberately at Alucard letting him know that not only did he feel it too, but he welcomed the synergy between them. Alucard smiled wolfishly at D and without thinking, positioned himself so that between them, D and Alucard could together survey the entire battlefield before them. Something between them clicked. 

Aware, accepting, even welcoming the connection, Alucard's and D's battle instincts meshed, turning the two dhampirs into a singular, irresistible fighting force. Without words, without glance, without any communication of any kind, they traded foes, ducked each other's attacks so an unwitting creature was skewered instead and fought, in two separate bodies but with one battle instinct, until the entire pack of the creatures was either dead or gibbering as they fled through the trees. 

The threat over, the battle instincts faded as did the synergistic connection. 

"That was..." Alucard began. 

"...remarkably efficient," D finished. 

Alucard grinned, "I was going to say interesting and eerie, but efficient will do!" 

"What the hell was that?!" Left Hand interjected. D and Alucard ignored him. 

"Do you think it will happen again?" Alucard asked. 

"Don't know," D replied, bending down to wipe his blade clear of gore on the fur of a downed and still creature. 

Alucard simply smiled as he too cleaned his blade. 

He was unprepared for the crazed, slathering creature that leaped out from behind a tree and slashed across his throat. Alucard's mouth worked soundlessly as he was unable to form words around the very serious wound. 

"D!" Left Hand shouted for him, somehow sensing Alucard's plight. D whirled, took in the scene at one swift glance and cleft the fleeing creature in two with one powerful slash. 

D turned to see what he could do for Alucard when from behind him a strong, clear, female voice called out, "Heal!" 

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Reviews, comments and constructive criticisms are always welcome! Please feel free to email me also if you see something awkward that needs to be clarified or fixed. I need all the help I can get! 

stargarde@stargarde.com 

Next chapter teaser - Gossamer Wings and Scary Dreams 


	6. Gossamer Wings?

Author's notes - 

"Please make sure the safety restraint is securely fastened across your lap and keep your hands and feet within the story until it comes to a complete stop..." 

*Grin!* Left field, here we come! 

For readers who haven't (yet) played Castlevania, Symphony of the Night, here is a quick, focused reference page for you:   
http://www.stargarde.com/castlevania.html 

I have access to a pc again at home (I have the best boss in the world...except he doesn't like anime! >_) so I hope to get back to quicker story updates again. Hopefully, this chapter was worth the wait! ^_^   


**Chapter 6 - Gossamer Wings?**

****

  
"Master Alucard! I've found you at last!" from behind D a woman's voice chimed. 

"Not a moment too soon," Alucard agreed, accepting D's hand to regain his feet, "Thank you for the healing! How did you follow me?" 

"Oh! It wasn't easy...your presence...got so faint...sometimes..." D felt a slight weight on his shoulder, "Can I please rest a moment?" the charming voice asked softly next to D's ear, "I'm so very weary..." 

Automatically, D reached out to catch the creature that slipped from his shoulder. He glanced down and saw silken blonde hair, impossibly delicate features and some sort of wings. 

"Yours?" D asked, offering the pretty creature who had addressed Alucard as 'Master'. 

"Yes...though I didn't summon her, I don't have the relic with me. How on earth did she manage to find me?!" Alucard wondered, taking her gently from D's hands. 

"What are you two talking about?" a querulous voice demanded. 

"Don't you dare let that thing anywhere near my Fairy!" Alucard exclaimed, cupping the unconscious little thing protectively against his shoulder. 

"Fairy?! Let me see, D!" Left Hand demanded stridently, "Relax, Cookie," this was directed to Alucard, "Fairies are way too sweet for my palate!" 

Sensing that Left Hand was in one of its moods, and would whine until it got its way, D removed his glove to let the parasite see. 

"She's pretty," Left Hand offered, "Turn her over. There's something I want to see." 

Alucard flipped the fairy over in his hands. 

"I thought fairies had butterfly or dragonfly wings?" Left Hand noted, "What's up with hers?" 

"I...I don't know," Alucard admitted, stroking a finger along one of the bat wings his fairy inexplicably wore. 

Alucard tucked her into a fold of his cloak where she slept for the rest of the day. D and Alucard made their way to the edge of the lethal woods, within just a mile or so of the next town, before deciding to camp for the night. 

******** 

"D, wake up!" Left Hand's voice was an urgent hiss. 

D flexed his hand slightly, to let Left Hand know he was awake and attentive. 

"There's something, or someone, fussin' with Alucard," Left Hand told him. 

D vaulted to his feet, drawing his sword as he did so. Alucard slept peacefully on the other side of the banked fire in their camp, untroubled by anything. 

D calmly sheathed his sword, turned his palm up and stared expressionlessly at Left Hand. 

"I know what I saw!" Left Hand insisted, "Something was there!" 

******** 

"Oh! Master! I truly did find you! It wasn't just a dream!" Alucard's Fairy fluttered about the camp in her joy the next day. 

"Not a dream," Alucard agreed, staring at her as she zoomed from one end of the camp to the other. He patted his shoulder. Obediently, she alit, crossed her ankles and settled her skirt daintily. 

"How did you find me?" Alucard asked. 

"Oh! It wasn't easy! We could tell you had walked a dimension..." she began. 

"Walked a dimension?" Alucard echoed. 

"Yes, you left your home dimension. Didn't you know that?!" 

Alucard looked up at this revelation. D nodded, as it was what he suspected anyway. 

"I see. How, then, were you able to follow?" Alucard mused. 

"Oh, familiars are used to it. Our home dimension is a little off from yours anyway. I just had to track you through the dimensions until I found you, that's all." 

"So you, and the one who woke me..." Alucard started, looking up at D. 

"I am a son of Dracula, from when he came to this dimension. It is something I have wondered for a long time," D confirmed, "I knew that father had the power to travel to other dimensions." 

"This gem?" Alucard asked, touching the gem he now used as a cloak pin. 

"I don't know," D shrugged. 

"Demon might know," Fairy offered. 

"Demon?" D asked. 

"Another familiar, like Fairy," Alucard answered absently, "But how do I ask him? I don't have..." he trailed off as Fairy pulled cards from the tiny pouch at her waist. 

They resumed their normal size and appearance as soon as Alucard took them from her. He fanned them in his hands, looking at his Sword, Demon and Ghost familiar cards. 

"Where is your card?" Alucard asked, "And the card for Bat?" 

"Such inspired names you gave your familiars, Lambchop!" Left Hand noted archly. 

"'Left Hand', I hardly think you are one to make an issue of that!" Alucard sniped back, "And my name is 'Alucard' not any of the sick, food-inspired endearments you keep using!" 

"Heh, heh! So, you noticed that!" Left Hand crowed, "Why shouldn't I use them? Don't forget how we first met, after all..." the rest of Left Hand's rude comments were smothered as D closed his hand tightly across Left Hand's mouth. 

Alucard nodded his thanks to D and looked directly into Fairy's eyes again. She took to the air again on her leathery wings. 

"It was...the only way," she said in a low voice. 

"What was?" Alucard asked gently, alarmed at her sad tone. 

"Sword, Demon, Ghost and I are all supernatural, existing partially in a dimension parallel to yours. We are...virtually immortal. Bat was just a natural creature, who bonded to you as a familiar. When you entered your long sleep..." 

Fairy's eyes grew unfocused as she remembered. 

"We realized that Bat would die of old age long before you woke again. I know you probably could have simply found a new Bat but..." 

"What, what did you do?" Alucard demanded in a whisper, gazing with a sense of growing horror at the bat wings his Fairy now wore. 

"All of us are devoted to you. You may not know it...but we are concerned for each other too. Demon searched and found the spell. And..." 

Fairy reluctantly produced the card from her pouch and handed it to Alucard. He accepted it. Fairy stood on his shoulder again and looked down at the card in his hand as she explained. 

"Demon used the spell to bind Bat and I together. That way, Bat could share my supernatural nature and not age and die..." Fairy's voice had a catch in it, "I really don't mind...but...I miss my beautiful wings!" 

Alucard realized the card he held was Fairy's card and Bat's card somehow merged together. Alucard couldn't help but gape at Fairy and the change in her wings he now understood. 

"And Bat? What about Bat?" he asked. 

"Oh," Fairy ran a tiny finger swiftly under her eye blotting a tear before stroking her hand casually through her hair, fluffing it out prettily, "Bat is so happy to see you that it's almost more than I can manage to not dance through the air!" 

Alucard smiled at that. He wasn't sure he would have allowed his familiars to do what they did if they had asked him...though he would have hated to wake up and find Bat dead too. 

"Why you?" he asked gently, "Demon has wings almost like Bat's already..." 

"Oh, it had to be me!" Fairy declared. 

"Why?" 

"Didn't you know?!" Fairy demanded. 

"Know what?" Alucard asked, confused. 

Fairy stamped her foot on his shoulder and pouted. 

"Oh, you make me so mad!" 

"What?! What did I do?!" 

"You are such a...such a...MAN!" she spat out the last word almost as if it were a curse. Fairy jumped into the air again in disgust. 

D hid his grin. He was pretty certain he knew what Fairy's and Bat's upset was. It amused him that Alucard was so blind to the reason behind it. 

"Didn't you ever think to wonder?" Fairy demanded, glaring into Alucard's eyes as she hovered before him. 

"Wonder what?" Alucard was becoming more confused. 

"Whenever you assume your bat form, doesn't Bat fly closer to you?" Fairy asked in a more reasonable tone. 

"Yes...what of it?" Alucard asked. 

"Idiot!" Fairy glared at him again, "Didn't you ever realize that Bat is in love with you?!" 

"In...love...?" Alucard echoed. 

D nodded to himself. He was right! Poor Alucard! 

"YES! Bat is in love with you, whenever you are in your bat form!" 

"Then Bat is...is..." 

"Female, just like me. That's why it had to be me who merged with Bat. Otherwise, there would be...complications." 

"Oh," Alucard realized in a tiny voice. He had never really thought about his familiars when they weren't with him. He was surprised that they were able to function and interact evidently, in whatever place they went to when they weren't with him. And Bat...mortal, but in love with him?! What was he going to do about that?! Though Fairy and Demon seemed to have solved part of the problem... 

"I...I'm sorry, Master! I shouldn't have been so harsh," Fairy began, alarmed at how pensive Alucard had become. 

"No, don't worry. I never realized about Bat, that's all," Alucard reassured, "Either one of Bat's concerns, that is." 

"Well, I found you," Fairy began in a business-like, almost bossy tone. D cocked an eyebrow. Of course he didn't know Alucard's Fairy, but her attitude seemed somewhat unlike what he would expect from a familiar. From the look on Alucard's face, it surprised to him too. Fairy rummaged for a third time in her pouch, "We thought it best to bring this to you." 

She pulled out and offered a tiny pack to Alucard. As he took it and it resumed its normal size, Alucard realized it was his adventuring pack and from the weight, it was full of his items. 

"How?" 

"Magic!" Fairy chimed, "Now that you have all your gear, and your familiar cards again, perhaps it would be best for me to return to where I belong." 

Alucard stared at Fairy's face for a long moment, finding the vulnerability she was trying so hard to hide under her abrupt manner. Alucard held up the Bat/Fairy card, "I can summon you again with this?" 

Fairy nodded. 

"Thank you. I left the sanctuary in such a hurry, I didn't think to bring my pack. That error has made things difficult for me. And I never should have left most of my relics, and your cards, behind," Alucard admitted, "I was just so angry..." 

D filed that bit of information away. Alucard had been goaded to rash action by anger. 

"Well, we found you and brought your stuff, so no harm done!" 

"True," Alucard agreed, "Come here." 

Fairy approached and floated before Alucard. 

"Thank you for what you did too," Alucard reached out and stroked one of Fairy's Bat wings with a finger. Fairy shivered at the touch, "You make Bat's wings look very beautiful." 

Fairy gasped, "You don't think...I look...ugly?!" 

"Not at all! Thank you for saving Bat for me," Alucard smiled, "Now I'll let you go so you can rest properly. I will call you again when I need your help!" 

As Alucard released her, Fairy smiled and flew upward. She disappeared. 

"Ga-a-a-ag!" Left Hand complained, "Too sickeningly sweet! I'm gonna go into sugar-shock!" 

"Shut up," Alucard advised mildly, looking at the merged Bat/Fairy card in his hand. 

"Whatever you say...sweetie! I've NO idea how you can be any help at all since you are such a sensitive, touchy-feely type..." 

D muffled Left Hand's grousing in his hand as he considered this extra-dimensional half brother. He knew the strength under Alucard's decency and manners, having seen Alucard in action and having felt Alucard's battle instincts for himself. He suspected that Alucard was significantly younger than he was though, since Alucard was still able to be so openly concerned for others and could be swayed by powerful emotions. 

"Fairy seems to be a great deal more helpful and resourceful than you," D told Left Hand in a low tone. 

"WHAT?!" Left Hand screeched, "D, I'll have you know...!" 

Having turned Left Hand's loud, insulting attention to himself, D wondered again at the person who had waken and riled Alucard up, framing D for that action in the process. Was it Alucard that person wanted out of the way, assuming D would slay him for attacking unprovoked? Or was it D who was the true target? Would having his items and familiars back help Alucard or distract him? 

"And another thing!" Left Hand paused to take in a deep breath and ranted on. 

------------- 

Reviews, comments and constructive criticisms are always welcome! Please feel free to email me also if you see something awkward that needs to be clarified or fixed. I need all the help I can get! 

stargarde@stargarde.com 

Next Chapter teaser - Haunted Dreams 


	7. Interrupted Dreams

Author's notes - 

My apologies, it's so rough! 

I'm feeling my way along slowly in the story now. I realize there are a few questions that I'm asking, so they're probably ones you are too. (And this points out to me some polishing the story needs in rewrites so that this information comes from the story and not in author's notes!) 

Like why are two dhampirs traveling mostly during the day? Partly because I don't know if really good night vision is an attribute of dhampirs (it should be, but then why did Alucard need the echolocation ability to pass through the dark room filled with spikes in Castlevania?!) and partly because I am having them interact with 'normal' humans who presumably would be safe behind locked doors at night on D's world if they had any sense of self-preservation! 

And aren't D and Alucard smart enough to rotate night watches when they do camp? Well...I'm seeing them travel all out, expending a great amount of energy covering as much ground as possible during the day, and simply needing the rest at night to maintain the pace. Besides, they have Left Hand, who seems to not need sleep (at least in this story, so far) to keep watch. So far, Lefty's been pretty good. 

I've no idea if there's supposed to be any type of herbalism, item magic or witch-lore on D's world. If not, just consider Val and her shop to be out in some remote area our long-lived and extensively-traveled D discovered at some point. 

I didn't intend to write limited omniscient from D's point of view, but as he's such a talkative character (NOT!) it seems to be the best way to clue everyone in as to what's going on in his mind. Alucard and D keep taking the story unexpected places too. >_ Unruly dhampirs! 

**Chapter Seven - Interrupted Dreams**

D opened his eyes to find the business end of a sword in his face. Reflecting that it wasn't the first time he'd woken up to the sight and ruefully admitting it probably wouldn't be the last, he planned the actions of the next few seconds in the time it took him to blink his eyes. Once. 

D rolled over his left shoulder into a backward single handspring vault, grasping the hilt of his sword as he rolled over it. By the time he'd gone from his prone position to his feet, his sword had cleared its sheath and was ready for business. So was D. 

"Impressive. Even Alucard couldn't have done that," a voice claimed, "Let's see what else you've got!" 

D resisted the urge to blink in disbelief. A huge, green-tinged, glowing sword hovered in the air before him. No one held the hilt, it simply floated on its own. It angled its edge, throwing a glint of light from the rising sun into D's eyes before slicing through the air at him. 

"Slash!" it called out. 

D ignored the discomfort from his dazzled eyes and listened for the soft sound of the animated sword slashing through the air to judge where to position his defense. A heavy crash on his blade jarred his wrists. The sword slid along his blade with a rasp, trying to break D's deflection, before darting away suddenly. D didn't fall for the off-balancing trick, maintaining his center of gravity while his vision cleared. 

"Not bad, not bad." 

"Sword! What are you doing?" Alucard came up behind the floating sword and plucked it out of the air. 

"I was guarding the camp," Sword claimed. 

"You were attacking D," Alucard retorted. 

"I wasn't serious about it. He's pretty good. Better'n you I think," Sword taunted. 

"Probably," Alucard admitted, slanting a resentful glance D's way, "But you have no right to test him." 

"Sword?" D asked, retrieving his sheath and putting his blade away. 

"Yeah. Sorry. I set him to guard duty last night. I didn't think he'd attack you. I thought he was smart enough to realize you belonged in the camp," Alucard explained. 

"Oh, he knew," Left Hand stated, "What other freaks you got in those cards of yours?" 

"It might interest you to know that I sensed..." Alucard began, ignoring Left Hand as usual. Sword tried to pull from Alucard's hand, "Hang on...what are you doing?" 

"Let...me...go!" Sword wrested free, darted across the camp and slashed a huge circle in the branches of a tree. Leaves, twigs, blood and the body Sword's attack just created spilled out. 

"Oh, crap!" Left Hand exclaimed. D's mouth thinned into an exasperated line. 

"Thank you, Sword," D said aloud. 

"It's that damn mutant!" Left Hand cried out, "What do we gotta do to make him stay dead?!" 

******** 

"...he was neatly cut in two, so we buried half of him at a crossroads and sank the other half in a deep pool," D finished. 

The old man sagely nodded his head, "Might do it. Might not." 

"So helpful," Alucard muttered, picking up the equine skull from the counter and running his hand up the single, spiraled   
horn. 

"Oh? Can I interest you in that? Many, many helpful things can be made with that horn," the old man's eyes lit up as he slid off his stool and sidled up to Alucard, "The bone of the skull is pretty useful too." 

"No, we are just here to speak with Val," D told him, taking the skull from Alucard and placing it emphatically back on the counter. 

"She's not here. Hunting, she is." 

"Hunting?" 

"Herbs, in the woods. Lichen, roots.. Stuff like that," the old man elaborated. 

"When will she be back?" D asked. 

"She'll be back when she gets here. I never know. I just keep the shop tidy and sell what I can while she's gone." 

"Hmm. Did she mention where she was going to go?" 

"She's looking mainly for mushroom-moss, so that'd be in the caves at the base of the mountains. A couple days to the west. Or she might still be in the forest between." 

"Thank you," D responded politely. 

"You going to go find her?" 

"I think it will be quicker than waiting for her to return. We need to get supplies first though," D replied. 

"Just tell her I said 'hi'," the old man sat down and ran his finger along a page in the book he had been reading when D and Alucard entered the shop. 

D nodded as he opened the door and left the store. 

"I'd smack you if I could, sweet pea!" Left Hand hissed at Alucard outside, "But D won't let me! Didn't I say not to touch anything in the store?!" 

"I don't take orders from...whatever you are," Alucard replied haughtily. 

"You are lucky it was the old man and not his son watching the store today," D told Alucard. 

"Heh, heh! Yeah. I thought D was going to have to use his sword to get out of there the last time!" 

"Why, is the son dangerous?" 

"Naw...just pushy. Always wants D to buy something!" Left Hand explained, "If it had been the young guy, you would have had to buy that silly skull!" 

******** 

"D! D! Wake up!" 

D opened his eyes to one of the flat, dead hours of the middle of the night. 

"What is it?" D sighed. He swore to himself that if it was Left Hand pulling his "I want a glass of water" in the middle of the night routine, he'd drown him. Then cut him off. And maybe bury him at a crossroad. 

"Look, over at Alucard. Slowly," Left Hand commanded. 

D turned his head fractionally so he could look across the camp at Alucard. A mist seemed to be hovering on the ground around where Alucard slept. It writhed like a living thing as it surrounded him completely. 

D wondered if he would be able to do anything, as he had learned with Alucard's mist ability how futile it was to try to strike mist with his sword. He was not willing to ignore the fact that something seemed to be threatening Alucard, though, and reached to grasp his sword anyway. Alucard's eyes opened as D's hand closed on the hilt and the mist immediately disappeared. 

"D?" 

"Yes?" 

"What is happening? You are readying yourself to fight something..." Alucard asked as he sat up in confusion. 

"Yes, I was. How did you know?" D released his sword and sat up himself. 

"I just...know. Your battle instinct woke me up," Alucard explained slowly, "Just like the yesterday morning, when Sword attacked you. I could tell you were fighting something and it woke me." 

"Interesting," D finally said. 

A long silence stretched between them. 

"We are..." Alucard began. 

Another long silence fell. 

"You weren't preparing to attack...me?" Alucard asked finally. 

"No." 

"Then...what?" 

D pondered. The fact that Alucard had asked a distrustful question didn't concern him. It was the uncertainty of the situation that was giving him pause. Was the mist surrounding Alucard a strange side effect of the relic Alucard used to become mist functioning in D's world? Or was it an attack by some creature in this forest? Or maybe some other creature entirely, following them... D had to know for sure. He thought it best to keep Alucard ignorant, so he could draw out the attack, if indeed an attack it was. D would use Alucard as bait, for now. 

Too many unanswered questions surrounded this half brother of his. D most wanted to solve the mystery of who had set Alucard against him in the first place. The gem left behind in Alucard's sanctuary was the most solid lead. It seemed most likely that it was Alucard himself who was the target. The method was devious, inciting Alucard to anger and somehow bringing him here to focus that anger on D. A good plan as, except for Alucard's mist form, D would have killed him. And Alucard's mist form was rendered useless by Left Hand. D was...well he was glad that Left Hand sensed that Alucard wasn't evil and freed him, rather than destroying him. Besides, D wasn't pleased that Alucard's attacker assumed that D would do his dirty work and slay Alucard for him. Such arrogance had to be dealt with. 

"We should find Val tomorrow," D finally said aloud, "She might be able to tell us something about your gem." 

"Right," Alucard agreed. He locked gazes for a long moment with D before lowering his eyes and gingerly lying back down again. 

D wondered how he could reassure Alucard, having read the misgiving in Alucard's eyes. It did look bad, D realized. He'd been reaching for his sword as Alucard lay asleep and there was no threat at all evident in the camp by the time Alucard had waken up. 

"Alucard," D began. 

"Yes?" 

"If I ever do attack you, it will be when we are both armed, face to face and you are expecting the attack," D finished. 

There was a very long pause before Alucard responded. 

"Okay." D heard a note of satisfaction in Alucard's voice, lay back down himself and instantly fell asleep. 

----------------   
Reviews, comments and constructive criticisms are always welcome! Please feel free to email me also if you see something awkward that needs to be clarified or fixed. I need all the help I can get! 

stargarde@stargarde.com 

Next chapter teaser - Answers! (Well some) More questions too! (heh, heh!) And Left Hand! (ROFL)   



	8. Sage Advice

Author's notes - 

1/11/03 - **Chapter Eight is finished!** So sorry for the delay updating this chapter. I think my imagination blew a fuse, too. I have no other explanation for one scene in this chapter. Hopefully it's not too disturbing. Val wasn't content being just a very minor character, so Chapter Eight grew quite a bit bigger than I thought it would. 

Val isn't me. I swear - though she does behave a bit like I would, (well, if I were a braver person that is). She was just going to be a deus ex machina to finally point our boys in the right direction, but...I couldn't let an opportunity to tease D and Alucard slip by. You do realize by now I have no control over these characters, right? It's taking all I have just to keep the story on track! But I must admit, it's a fun ride! I hope you are enjoying it too! 

The astute reader may notice the homage to one of my favorite fantasy authors in a comment in this chapter. 

**Chapter Eight - Sage Advice**

D held up one hand as they approached a clearing near the base of a mountain. Alucard looked up into the warning in D's eyes and stepped back as they had arranged. Alucard rested his hand on the hilt of his sword. D advanced into the clearing, drawing his blade. 

D circled once before fluidly jumping forward and driving the point of his sword into the ground. 

"You can come out. I've found you," D said aloud. 

"Dammit! I thought I had it that time!" There was chagrin in the voice as a woman shimmered into view, "I didn't even realize there was a shadow until you pinned it!" 

Alucard, still ready to draw his sword, advanced to D's side. He looked down and realized that is exactly what D had done, as the tip of D's sword was sunk into the ground exactly where the woman's shadow lay. 

"It is the best yet. Your scent and sound were completely masked," D offered. 

"But my shadow gave me away," she replied, "Ah well, I guess someone would be truly invisible at night, if there were no strong light." She pushed her hair impatiently from her face, "What brings you here anyway, D? Not helping me with this thrice-cursed amulet of invisibility, that's for sure!" 

"No, but strangely enough it is about an amulet," D replied. 

"Hmm. And this?" the woman turned her head and looked at Alucard, "He doesn't even try to conceal his blood! Doesn't he realize how dangerous that could be?" 

"Don't answer, D. Let me tell you what I see!" 

The woman circled around Alucard, her green-eyed gaze flicking up and down as she took in details. In his turn Alucard assessed her. 

Her long blonde hair was carelessly bound in a leather thong to spill down her back. Her eyes were a startling deep green. Her skin was pale, not unhealthily so, but as his own was, as if she shunned the daylight. She was small, only a little over 5 feet tall and very slight. Though smooth, there was something almost too careful about how she moved that made Alucard think she was older than she appeared. Her scent came wafting toward him. As he expected, it was the bright clean woodsy notes of the forest overlaying the damp, musty tang of earth. The elusive note of her blood seemed human, mostly. Alucard thought she might have some slight trace of something not human in her, but it wasn't vampire. 

"Hmm. A dhampir, like you," the woman said aloud to D, "And his vampire blood is exactly as yours, marking him as a scion of Dracula," she reached forward to take up and stroke a lock of Alucard's hair, "Dracula must have been something that his sons are so gorgeous!" she grinned into Alucard's stunned face as she dropped the lock, "But this one is out-dimension. He's carrying a wealth of magic items that make all the contents of my shop look shabby in comparison!" 

"I am Val," she introduced herself directly to Alucard, "And since you are traveling with D, I suppose you can be trusted, even though I can tell you are of vampire blood. I guess, in your home dimension, people aren't frightened of dhampirs any longer?" 

"No...that's not it..." Alucard stammered. 

"Actually, Val, that's why we sought you out. Alucard had been attacked by someone who wanted him to believe it was me. We are hoping you might be able to help," D said. 

Val looked from Alucard to D, gazing into each face for long moments. 

"Big brother to the rescue, huh?" 

"Don't be absurd!" D snapped. 

"'Absurd'? Heh, heh, have it your way, D. I'm 'absurd'! Well, now that you've found me, what can I do for you?" 

"Tell her, Alucard," D commanded. Alucard did. 

"Very interesting story," Val commented some time later, "So the intruder looked exactly like D?" 

"There might have been a few differences, like the intruder wore a red feather in his hat and D doesn't, but otherwise, yes, exactly like D. Though now that I know D better, the intruder didn't act like him at all," Alucard replied. 

"Let me see this amulet," Val offered. Alucard handed the gem to her. 

"Well..." Val turned it over in her hand appraisingly, "Highly magical. Warded too." 

"What does that mean?" 

"It means it's protected against me trying to figure out what it is," Val replied, "Oh, don't worry! I can probably break the ward with enough time. It's just going to take some effort on my part. Now...for my payment..." 

Alucard looked over at D since they hadn't discussed payment at all. 

"I can pay you," D said unperturbed. 

"I don't need money, the shop is doing well. What I do need is someone to go into that mountain, get past the darkness I can't go through and harvest some mushroom-moss for me," Val replied pointing toward the side of the mountain, "That would be payment enough, and should give me enough time to make this little beauty give up its secrets!" 

"What darkness are you talking about?" 

"It's nothing I've seen before. None of my spells or items shed any light near it. There's a passageway into the mountain. It goes more or less straight for an hour or so of walking, then turns and slopes down. A few years ago, I followed it down to a cave that was filled with all kinds of useful growing things, like the moss. Now, about halfway to the cave, there's an area of complete blackness. I've tried feeling my way along the wall down to the cave and I always wind up back at the entrance again. So there's some kind of magic at work. I have a feeling you would be able to get past the darkness that keeps thwarting me." 

"I can try." 

"We can try," Alucard told D, "Some of my items and abilities should be useful. And I am the one we are asking her to help." 

"Well, then. Succeed or not, if you try, I will find out what I can about this gem for you," Val agreed, extending her hand to finalize it. 

"I'll try my best," Alucard replied, accepting her handshake. 

"How about something to eat and a night's rest first?" Val suggested, "And we can talk!" she smiled. 

"That seems reasonable," D replied. 

"It's a good thing two half vampires don't equal a whole one or I'd be in trouble!" Val grinned, "Hey, D! Lemme see that rascally Hand o' Darkness of yours!" 

"Hey, hey, Val, what's up?" Left Hand said as D removed his glove. 

"Bit of this, bit of that! How you doin', Lefty? Still getting this one inta trouble?" Val glommed onto D's arm, much to Alucard's surprise. More surprising was D's patient forbearance. 

"Naw. He gets himself into enough trouble without my help these days!" Left Hand told her, "Hey! You might know... How d'ya kill a mutant who keeps regenerating?" 

"Have you tried boiling it in oil?" Val replied. 

"See! I told you we should have tried that, D!" Left Hand stuck out his tongue. 

D sighed, "Oh, they're unifying in a silly mood against me. It's going to be one of those kinds of nights." 

******** 

"Have you told your brother how we met, D?" 

"I had been hoping to avoid that," D told her. 

"Why? You were a perfect hero! It was Left Hand who was the problem!" 

"Left Hand? You have to tell me now!" Alucard insisted. 

"I had just settled in a small town, deciding to use my 'gifts' to make my living rather than resorting to, well, prostitution. I don't come from wealth, own land, possess trade skills; and I hadn't found anyone I wanted to marry, so my options were limited. I had sunk the last of the money my family had scraped together for me into a stall in the market and a few trappings and trimmings to make it have the right atmosphere." 

"What gifts were you basing your living on?" 

"Oh, you haven't really seen them yet. I can detect magic auras and have a sense of the ebb and flow of destiny, so I had set up my shop for readings, to help detect and lift curses, and maybe eventually craft potions once people trusted me and I had a good reputation." 

"There was a harvest fair the day I opened my booth. As expected, a few of the young girls came for the most basic of my services, love and popularity readings and the like. People were happy, drinking wine and feeling fine. It was only a matter of time before someone of importance came for a reading and then, once I'd proven myself with an accurate reading, I'd be set." 

"Well, the people hanging out in the corner of the market where my stall was were drinking and carousing quite happily, getting a bit rowdy but nothing too bad. D happened to walk by. I think he was looking for a part for his horse." 

"I was." 

"Some bright yokel in the crowd decided I should do a reading for D, certain I'd refuse or D would balk, I suppose, and create some excitement for them. I looked up into D's eyes and saw...well...concern..." she paused. 

"I could see how ugly the crowd was becoming. I thought a non-eventful reading would calm them down and take attention away from you," D supplied. 

"Yeah, well," Val gathered her wits again, "That's not what happened, is it?" 

"You have me on pins and needles! What happened?" Alucard urged. 

"To do a proper reading, I look into a person's eyes for a glimpse of their soul and then into the secrets hidden in the tracks of fate in their hands," Val told him. 

"Their hands?" 

"Before D knew what I was doing, I had reached for his hands and turned them up. Left Hand LEERED at me...and then winked! I was so startled I screamed!" 

"Oh... Oh!" Alucard realized. Val began to laugh at the memory. 

"You are amused?" D disapproved. 

"Well, it is funny!" Val protested. 

"Perhaps I should finish the story. Val's scream alerted the crowd. When they saw Left Hand, they assumed it was some curse she had placed on me and decided to oust the hunter with the demon and the witch from their town." 

"They started throwing stones," Val suddenly sobered, "None of them hit me," she admitted in a quiet voice. 

Alucard took her meaning. 

"I regenerate fast," D said serenely. 

"What happened then?" 

"D escorted me to a different town, a safer one he knew of that wasn't quite so superstitious, and helped me set up my fortune telling business before moving on. My business has grown to the shop you saw. I find and craft magic items for people now, as well as help with readings or curses and whatnot. I see D every score of years or so, now," Val replied, "Of course, it's usually because he's found an item he thinks will be interesting to me, or he needs a question answered., rather than a social visit, but I take what I can get!" Val grinned. 

"Speaking of interesting items, Alucard," Val began. 

"Yes?" 

"You are practically glowing to my magic sense! What've you got?!" 

Val declared herself impressed with Alucard's magic items, exclaiming at the high magic of his heirloom sword, armor and cloak. She thought that his relics were all quite useful, and tried earnestly to get Alucard to sell one of his soul relics, the magic items that allowed him to assume different forms. 

"Val," D finally told her, "Alucard said 'no'." 

"Oh, pooh!" Val pouted, then winked, "I had to try! And you didn't bring me any gifts this time!" She returned to pouting. 

D barked out a short sound that Alucard was stunned to realize was actually a laugh, "Oh, Val!" 

"Let me see your familiar cards," Val turned toward Alucard abruptly. He blinked at her. 

"I've seen something similar before, so I can tell you have them," she explained. Nonplused, Alucard drew out his cards. 

Val snorted at the Fairy Card, "Bit of an odd choice for a dhampir, but Fairy Cards are pretty common." she looked closer, "Not usually with bat wings though. And she's uncommonly powerful," She set it aside. 

"Oh...an animate sword. Rather boring too, I'm afraid," she set the Sword Card aside too. 

"Now this is interesting. A demon! Can you call him?" 

Alucard summoned Demon, who delighted Val with his subservient flunky attitude toward Alucard and his impishly inquisitive nature. 

"I can see how he'd be handy to have around, but has he ever set off a trap on you?" Val asked. 

"Not yet. I'm certain it's only a matter of time," Alucard admitted resignedly. 

"Ohh! Is this really a ghost? An undead?!" Val demanded, holding up the last of Alucard's familiar cards, "I'm partially to undead...present company included!" 

Alucard laughed as he invoked the card, releasing Demon and summoning Ghost. 

The glowing, insubstantial skull darted over and enveloped D's left hand. 

"Ah!" Left Hand cried out. Alucard felt the rush of a Soul Steal infusion and realized what was happening. 

"What is it?" D demanded raising Left Hand. 

"D! Get it off me! Get it off! Get it off!" Left Hand panicked. 

"Ghost is able to siphon a creature's life force and send it to me," Alucard explained, "We could probably rid you of your troublesome Left Hand permanently." he winked at D. 

"Really?" D cupped his chin with his right hand and considered, looking into Left Hand's frantically pleading face. 

"D! I'll do anything! Just stop it...save me!" Left Hand promised wildly, "Cupcake! Sorry...Alucard! C'mon...you don't really want to deprive D of my powers! It's killin' me! I'm helpful, really! Ask D! You know I'm just teasing...I don't mean any harm...and I let YOU go...!" 

D struggled to keep Left Hand from flailing around. 

Feeling another rush of incoming life force, Alucard decided Left Hand had probably had enough. The parasite annoyed him, but Left Hand was right. Alucard didn't really want to harm it. 

"Ghost!" Alucard called. The skull turned so the firey sockets could regard him, "Return to me. Leave Left Hand alone." 

Ghost turned back toward Left Hand as he drifted away, but drifted back a little. He clacked his teeth warningly at Left Hand and obediently floated over to Alucard's side to hover over his shoulder. 

"That's all of them, Val," Alucard declared, "Val?" 

She was rolling around on the ground, clutching her sides and laughing soundlessly. 

"You think that was funny?!" Left Hand demanded. 

"Oh! Oh! Oh!" Val laughed, "You were absolutely frantic! That was priceless!" 

"Humph!" Left Hand hid by twisting himself into the edge of D's cloak. 

"Oh, come on, Lefty!" Val wheedled touching the bunched fabric. 

"Humph!" Left Hand refused to come out. 

"Look what I have!" Val sang out, pulling a vial from her waist pouch. 

"Oh no, Val!" D protested. 

"You'd rather have Left Hand sulking all night?" Val raised an eyebrow at D, "You know he will when he gets this way!" 

"It's appalling what you do to my dignity!" D complained, struggling a little to force Left Hand out from his hiding place. 

"Would you like a massage?" Val asked Left Hand sweetly. 

"Oh! D, can I?" 

D narrowed his eyes at Left Hand, then at Val, sighed and turned his head away in resignation. 

"Are you going to stop sulking?" Val demanded, rocking the vial gently in her hand, mixing the contents. 

"Uh, huh!" Left Hand agreed. D thinned his lips. 

"And be nicer to Alucard? I can tell you've been mean!" 

"Oh, Val!" 

"Promise?" she insisted. 

"Promise!" 

"Well...okay then!" 

Alucard watched as Val uncorked the bottle, poured a bit of the oil into her hands, took D's hand between hers, and proceeded to give Left Hand a very thorough rub-down. Left Hand groaned in pleasure as Val smoothed the scented oil all over him. 

"Yeah, baby! You've got the touch!" Left Hand moaned, "More! More! More!" 

Alucard dared to glance into D's face and read D's utterly helpless resignation to the whole spectacle. Suddenly how absurd it was hit Alucard with all the force of a charging monster. He stifled his mirth long enough to indicate he was going to answer a call of nature and get the hell out of there before he started laughing. He was pretty sure D would forgive him many things, but laughing at him while Val gave him a 'Left Hand' massage was probably not one of them. 

Except for Left Hand's fatuous smile, things were much more normal when Alucard returned to the camp. Presently, after setting Sword to guard the perimeter of the camp, they turned in for the night. 

"D? D!" Val whispered urgently a few hours later. 

D opened his eyes to find Val's hand on his arm. 

"Shh," she warned, "Look." She turned slowly and looked at Alucard. 

Mist writhed around the sleeping dhampir. D squinted. The mist appeared thicker than the last time he'd seen it. Alucard's form was partially obscured. 

"Stay here," D commanded. Val nodded. 

D leapt over the banked coals of the fire and slashed through the mist dispersing it. Alucard started awake, the edge of D's sword a scant inch from his nose. 

"What the hell?!" 

"Something was hovering over you," D told him, glancing down and lifting his sword. Alucard propped himself up on an elbow and looked across to where Val stared at them with wide eyes. 

"Maybe you would know. Can dhampirs have heart attacks?" Alucard asked petulantly, "D keeps startling me awake!" 

"What was that?" Val asked. 

"I don't know," D admitted, 'But it seems to be drawn to Alucard." 

"It looks like mist. Could Alucard's relic be malfunctioning?" D asked. 

Val shook her head, "The magic is entirely different." 

"Do you have any idea what it is?" 

"No," Val replied. 

"Well," Alucard noted, yawning and stretching out on his bedroll again, "It's gone. Let's get some sleep." 

Despite Alucard's nonchalant attitude, D wondered what the mist was and what its purpose with Alucard was before he fell asleep. 

******** 

"Well?" D asked. The stood in a cave, facing a wall of complete blackness. As Val had told them, light had no effect on relieving or dispersing it. 

"Hmm," Alucard considered the problem. Pondering the puzzle the blackness represented comforted him somehow. He suddenly realized why it seemed familiar, it reminded him of the many traps and puzzles Castlevania always presented to him. 

"Well," Alucard pulled out Fairy's card and summoned her. 

"Fairy?" D asked, raising an eyebrow. 

"Demon would push any interesting switches he found causing a cave-in or who-knows-what to happen; and Ghost and Sword would simply dart forward and attack any moving thing in there. Additionally, there's simply no way to sneak up on something with Sword around. He's very proud of his abilities and loud when he attacks something. Fairy will quietly and politely let me know if there's a hidden chamber around here." 

"Useful," D nodded. 

"No hidden chambers, Master Alucard. At least not any I can sense," Fairy reported mournfully. 

"Don't worry. I have a few other ideas," Alucard reassured. 

His form shimmered and shrunk until he hung in the air on huge, leathery wings. D's eyes widened only slightly as he'd not seen Alucard's transformation to bat form before. Alucard flapped his wings twice, pondering the darkness in front of him and how best to approach it. 

"What?! No! Bat, not now!" Fairy screamed out as her wings hurled her toward Alucard. She crashed into him, bringing them both falling toward the ground. Alucard shifted back to his dhampir self as he fell, turning so he wouldn't crush Fairy. 

"I'm so sorry, Master!" Fairy cried out, "I wasn't strong enough to stop her!" Fairy struggled to free herself. 

D and Alucard managed to free the despondent Fairy from her entanglement in Alucard's hair. Her bat wings drooped in her embarrassment. 

"Come here," Alucard commanded, holding out his hand. Fairy reluctantly settled on it. 

"Bat can hear me? Is she paying attention?" Alucard asked. Fairy nodded. 

"Bat," Alucard began, stroking along one of the bat wings on Fairy's back, "It was possible for you to fly very close to me when I am in bat form, because your shape was right. You've always been an expert in matching my wing beats so we don't collide. But poor Fairy isn't the right shape to do that! You can't try to make her fly that close, okay?" 

The wing flapped once under his hand. 

"You understand?" Alucard asked. 

The wing flapped one time again. 

"She understands," Fairy offered, "She's sad though." 

Alucard stroked the wing for a moment more. 

"I'm a little sad too," he admitted. 

"Fairy, Bat, stay here with D," Alucard commanded. Fairy settled on D's shoulder. Alucard met D's eyes for a moment before shifting back to his bat form again and regarding the darkness. At the highest edge of his hearing, D could just hear a thin sound before Alucard flew forward and disappeared into the blackness. 

"Echolocation," D said aloud. 

"Yes," Fairy confirmed. 

"You will let me know if he runs into trouble?" 

"Of course, Master D," Fairy agreed. 

D and Fairy waiting in tense but companionable silence for many long minutes. 

"You should step closer to the wall. Alucard's Force of Echo might hurt if he hits you with it directly," Fairy suggested. D did and a moment later Alucard flew out of the darkness. He shifted back to his dhampir self. 

"The darkness goes all the way to the chamber Val told us about," Alucard said, "But it didn't stop my echo. It appears as though something twisted the passageway; if you were to follow it with a hand on one wall you'd wind up back at the entrance. I can fly ahead again to thread the maze. Fairy should be able to follow me easily through our familiar-bond and direct you." 

D nodded. Alucard transformed into a bat again and flew into the darkness. Without hesitation, D stepped in too. His eyes strained to see, even though he followed Fairy's directions ("left turn, stop, walk straight ahead five steps, turn right...") until he stepped out into the faint glow of a torch feebly lighting a massive chamber. D easily found the mushroom-moss Val wanted. Alucard harvested a bit of everything else growing in the chamber too. 

"I wonder who twisted the passage," Alucard said as they worked. 

"It's impossible to tell. As long as we get what Val needs, it doesn't matter," D replied. 

"True." 

"Perhaps vampire bat hair would make the invisibility amulet formula work properly," D pondered aloud a little while later. 

Alucard slanted a surprised look at D. "You know more about things than you ever let on, don't you?" 

D stared at him for a moment then returned to harvesting. 

---------------------- 

Reviews, comments and constructive criticisms are always welcome! Please feel free to email me also if you see something awkward that needs to be clarified or fixed. I need all the help I can get! 

stargarde@stargarde.com 

So sorry for the delay! Next chapter teaser - Chapter Nine - Readings   



	9. Readings

Author's notes - 

**Stop!** Please go back and **reread Chapter Eight** as it has been added to! Oh? You read the rest of Chapter Eight already? Never mind... 

I'm pretty sure Val has completed all the deus ex machina duties I needed her for in this chapter. I wanted to finish her bit of the story in Chapter Eight, but there were a few things left undone, so they spilled over into Chapter Nine. I hope she didn't annoy people too much. After this chapter, she heads back to her shop and out of this story. Maybe it's time for another mutant attack? I've got to get things back to what passes for normal for our two dhampirs! ^_^ 

**Chapter Nine - Readings**

"You got it! D, you're marvelous!" Val exclaimed. 

"It was Alucard's echolocation that got us past the darkness. You should find a different place to harvest though. Something very strong wants to hide that cave," D warned her. 

"Don't worry about that, D. This is probably my last trip to gain supplies," Val told him matter of factly. 

D raised an eyebrow at her. 

"I have never been able to find out exactly what I am, aside from mostly human that is, but whatever it is..." Val admitted, "Let's just say if you follow your timetable of coming to check on me once every score of years, I'll only get to see you one more time." 

"But, enough of that!" Val reached forward and grabbed Alucard's hand, dragging him to sit next to her on the log, "Let me tell you what I found out!" 

"It took careful work to learn how to break the ward, but see what happens when I do," Val put the amulet in Alucard's hand and uttered a word. The multicolor gem flashed and became a black and white gem with a face carved into it. 

"This is its true appearance," Val told him. Alucard reached a finger forward to stroke the surface of the stone. 

"Father!" he breathed. D came to stand over his shoulder and look down at the amulet himself, "I remember that! Father wore it all the time." 

"That would explain why it brought Alucard here first, I suppose. That and the fact Alucard was trying to follow someone who resembles you, D," Val suggested. 

"What else did you find out?" 

"I'd offer to buy this little trinket from you if I thought I could," Val began with a mercenary gleam in her eye. D glared at her, "But I know you won't sell it," she sighed. 

"It is a very powerful amulet; I guess you could consider it a relic. It allows you to open the pathways between dimensions to travel to any dimension Dracula has ever been. But you must be careful," Val warned, taking the amulet out of Alucard's hand. She turned it over, showing the pin on the back. 

"Something about how this is constructed didn't look right to me," she slid the whole back piece off, exposing the back of the stone. 

"What about it?" Alucard leaned forward to see more clearly. 

"This stone is black, showing the carved face in white. The stone only appears dark, it's really white on the inside. That sort of explains the quality of the magic too, very little evil, mostly good. Do you see this spot?" Val pointed to a small speck of white in the center of the back of the stone, "This is where another stone was attached once. I think it was this stone's twin, but it appears white, concealing the blackness within. The face will show as black against a white stone." 

"Meaning what?" Alucard asked. 

"Meaning...I don't know. Would you say that your father has two faces? Both you and D hold affection for him, and yet your life is devoted to stopping him on your world, while D's is devoted to stopping Dracula's descendants in this world. You can use this pendant, I suspect, because you are a son of Dracula. If it has a twin, one oriented toward the darker aspects of your father, wouldn't that explain much about the intruder in your sanctuary?" 

"You suppose Alucard's attacker is another son of Dracula, a brother, but he's trying to..." D began. 

"I suspect he would follow in Dracula's bloodier footprints, that's all," Val finished, "Maybe trying to complete whatever Dracula's ultimate design was. Just," she bit her lip and looked into Alucard's eyes, "Be careful!" 

"Say, D, make dinner? I'm tired of my own cooking!" Val begged to break the tension. 

"You like his cooking?!" Alucard demanded. 

"Yes, it's good! Oh, he's been racing around and just making quick meals, hasn't he? Yeah, those are terrible! Come on, D, show your little brother you can actually cook!" 

"Heh, heh! She's got you twisted around her little finger, doesn't she, D?" Left Hand teased later, as D added spices to the cooking pot. 

"Shut up," D advised mildly, reaching toward a spice jar. Fairy lifted it and handed it to D so he wouldn't have to over-extend to get it. 

"Fairy?" D asked. 

"Val wanted to talk to Alucard alone. I think she's going to do a reading." 

"She never learns. Trying to read dhampirs always gives her a headache," D muttered. 

"Can I tell you something, Master D?" Fairy twisted her hands. 

"Of course." 

"I know what Val's blood is. The non-human one. She's..." 

D shook his head, "Don't tell me. You should tell her." 

"She won't let me," Fairy replied miserably, "And I so want to tell her! She's slowing down, and aging, just because she's missing something in what she eats. If she just adds it...with her blood she can live longer. Much longer!" 

"I know she doesn't like me," Fairy continued. 

"It's not that she doesn't like you," Left Hand offered softly, "It's that she senses something in you she doesn't want to admit." 

"I know...but I want to help her!" 

"Why?" D asked. 

"Because she's helped my master. Because she's your friend. And because of her blood," Fairy responded simply. 

"What does she need to add?" 

******** 

Val took Alucard's hands and turned them palm up. 

"No weird little face," Val smiled, "I always check now!" Alucard laughed. 

"You want to do a reading?" 

"I might see something that will help you," Val replied, "I won't try if you don't want me to." 

"No, I don't mind," Alucard told her. 

"Open your eyes then and let me see," Val commanded. She looked deeply into Alucard's eyes for what seemed like half of eternity. She then looked down into his hands and lightly traced the lines she found there. She sighed. 

"As always, you dhampirs lead lives too long and too deep for me to catch more than the fleetingest glimpse of the future. I'm afraid all I can tell you is that you have the way." 

"The way?" 

"There is a concern weighing your heart. If you remember who you are, you will find you have the way," Val clarified as best she could. 

"Remember who I am..." 

"Yes." 

"Thank you, Val," Alucard stood and offered his hand. Val struggled to stand up, even with Alucard's assistance. 

"Are you okay?" 

"Reading dhampirs always takes a lot out of me. I'll be okay," Val admitted. 

"Hmm. I have something for you. I know very little of magic-crafting, but D thought this might help you," Alucard handed her a small packet. Val opened it to find a few short glistening strands of silver hair. 

"Vampire bat hair, from..." Alucard began. 

"A dhampir! Oh, this will make that shadow disappear and the invisibility amulet work perfectly!" Val exclaimed, "I should have thought of that! Thank you!" 

"Hmm," Alucard looked uncomfortable, "Let's get back to camp." 

"You're just as bad as D!" Val complained. Alucard smiled. 

******** 

"Your best yet!" Val exclaimed after dinner. 

"Oh? You liked dinner?" D asked. 

"Very much! What did you use? There's something in here that's not in my supplies." 

"It's a new spice I've only recently started to use. Here," D handed Val a small jar, "And seeds so you can grow more," D handed Val an envelope. 

"What's it called?" Val asked, accepting both. 

"I haven't had a chance to name it. Why don't you name it when you see what it looks like when it blooms?" D suggested. 

"You sure? Okay," Val stretched, "For some reason, I feel strong enough to try another reading," Val decided. 

"Why do you do this to yourself, Val?" D asked. 

"I just want to help. Come on, D!" 

"I'll clean up here," Alucard offered. 

"Thanks!" 

"Now, what was all that about?" Alucard demanded of Fairy after Val and D left. Fairy clapped her hands delightedly. 

"Master D is so wonderful!" Fairy declared, coming to rest on Alucard's shoulder, "I figured out a few things about Val..." she started whispering in Alucard's ear. 

******** 

Val took D's hands into hers and turned them palm up before glancing down and noticing Left Hand's leer. She laughed, "Not again! Lefty, you are terrible!" She gently turned Left Hand over and took D's right hand between hers. 

"We'll see what I can find out this way," she muttered, before staring into D's eyes. She gazed there for as long as she could stand, then regarded the hand clasped between hers, telling the lines of his palm as she had with Alucard. She shivered. 

"There's a blackness about you, D," she told him, "All around. Only two things I can wrest from it. Do what you must. All will not be lost." 

D nodded, and started to rise. 

"Not yet, D," Val commanded. She reached for Left Hand again, "I want to try something." 

"Wha...? What are you doing?!" Left Hand demanded. 

"You want to read Left Hand?" D asked. 

"Try anyway," Val responded, "Open those eyes of yours, Lefty, and let me see!" 

She looked into Left Hand's eyes when he complied. 

"Now close them," she suggested, reading the lines that traveled across Left Hand's face. Her eyes widened. 

"Interesting!" she glanced up into D's face, before leaning down and whispering to Left Hand. 

"What?!" Left Hand cried out, "I'd never!" 

"You must!" Val insisted, "Remember what I told D!" 

Val jumped up, brushed her skirt off and walked back toward the camp. 

"What did she tell you?" D asked. 

"She told me..." Left Hand stopped in shock. 

"Yes?" D demanded impatiently. 

"She told me that if I wanted to save you, I'd have to kill Alucard!" Left Hand cried out. 

"What?!" 

---------------------- 

Reviews, comments and constructive criticisms are always welcome! Please feel free to email me also if you see something awkward that needs to be clarified or fixed. I need all the help I can get! 

stargarde@stargarde.com 

So sorry for the delay! Next chapter teaser - Chapter Ten - The Voice in the Darkness 


	10. The Voice in the Darkness

Author's notes - 

Okay, I admit it. I'm a romantic sap. And romance isn't just the passionate feelings between two people who are interested in each other. Sometimes it's the little things, like just being sympathetic to someone when they need it. 

Val is safely out of the story, returned to her shop. D and Alucard are adventuring again. I have no idea why they are tromping around the countryside, except that it's more interesting to write about (and I hope read about!) than navel-gazing as this story, despite my best intentions, has become an angst-fest. >_ 

Not to worry, though. Alucard's dreams have taken a more dark and decisive turn leading up hopefully toward the final conflict with... 

... 

Now, that would be telling! ^_~ 

**Chapter Ten - The Voice in the Darkness**

"Fairy told me about Val," Alucard admitted. 

"Humph," D grunted. 

"How long have you known her?" 

"Almost a hundred and fifty years," D replied, "Thanks to Fairy, she should have a hundred and fifty more." 

"Won't that cause her...problems? With other humans?" 

"No. I helped her relocate and start fresh once before. No one will ever need to know how old she really is," D told him. 

"I'm glad. Do you think it will really work? Fairy's spice that is?" 

"It already has. Reading me didn't give Val a headache," D replied, "I'm sure that's the strengthening of her blood." 

"Good." 

A loud crack sounded beneath his foot. The forest floor broke apart, dumping D and Alucard into a wide, deep pit. Alucard defensively shifted to his mist form, but D fell all the way down onto the sharpened spikes in the bottom of the pit. Alucard drifted down and carefully resumed his dhampir form avoiding the spikes. 

Four bloody points protruded through D, one through his leg, one through his arm and two through his chest. 

"Are you okay?!" 

"I'll...survive," D admitted painfully, "Nothing vital was hit." 

Alucard pondered how best to get D out of the pit. It was too deep for him to lift D out, even if D were strong enough to stand on his shoulders. He couldn't carry anything in his mist form at all, and his bat form was too weak to lift D too. Getting D off the spikes would be bad enough, Alucard didn't want to risk D getting stabbed again by staying in the pit. 

Alucard pulled out a rope and tied a quick harness into it. He invoked his Sword card. 

"What do you require?" Sword demanded as it floated down into the pit. 

"Go up there and deal with anything hostile that might have made this trap. Then return to me," Alucard told him. Sword floated off to do his bidding. 

"There's nothing up there," Sword reported as it floated down again. 

"Come here," Alucard commanded. He tied the free end of the rope to Sword's hilt, "Go back up there, loop this around a tree a few times, then plant yourself in the ground. I'll be up in a minute." 

Alucard looked down into D's eyes, giving D just a moment to prepare before he reached down and bodily lifted D straight up off the spikes that were pinning him. D cried out. 

"Can you stand?" Alucard asked after a moment. D nodded, not trusting in his voice. Alucard helped him into the harness, then loosened his hold enough to confirm D could stand indeed on his own. He shifted to bat form and zoomed up out of the pit as fast as he could. A moment later D felt the rope of the harness tighten. Slowly he was pulled out of the pit. 

Alucard, his dhampir self again, mutely offered to tend to D's wounds. 

"No, they'll regenerate if I rest. That should be sufficient," D told him painfully sitting down on the ground. 

Alucard considered D for a moment before summoning Fairy. 

"No, that won't work," D told him, as Alucard rummaged in his pack, "Left Hand always intercepts healing spells or items." 

"I can't help it!" Left Hand told D petulantly. 

"Oh," Alucard stated flatly, "Well then..." he surveyed the area, noting the trap they had sprung and the open vulnerability of the clearing. He exchanged Fairy for Sword. 

"Watch D. Keep anything from bothering him," Alucard commanded his militant familiar, "I'll find a suitable campsite." 

Later, after forcing D to lean on him and after taking many rests along the way, Alucard lowered D to his bedroll in the camp he'd set up. It was far enough away from the trap that Alucard thought it would be secure enough to let D sleep and recover from his wounds. 

D gratefully closed his eyes, knowing he would heal faster if he were asleep. Alucard watched the camp quietly until nightfall, whereupon he set Sword to guard the perimeter. He debated briefly with himself before setting his bedroll next to D's, in case D woke during the night and needed help. Finally, Alucard thankfully went to sleep. 

******** 

_ The scent of lilies came to him and the feel of a woman nestling in his arms. Her back arched as tight as a bow within his embrace. The waves of her glossy bronzewood hair spilled over his arms as she turned, mutely offering the alabaster column of her neck to him._

_ Such temptation! He'd pledged his love to this human woman! He'd defied his people and hers to gain her! His noble intentions toward her startled even him, forcing him to wonder if he had perhaps learned the true meaning of love. That true love was indeed sacrifice, denying part of himself for as long as she lived. He'd vowed to deny himself the pleasure of drinking her, for if he did drink, he would abuse the pure love he felt for her. He would betray the utter trust she had in him. Knowing all of that, for he had shared with her all his thoughts and feelings, how could she offer..._

_ The scent of lilies, his favorite, wafting up from her pulse point where she had so carefully placed it... The scent of her sweet blood mingling through that floral scent too forced him to imagine and feel... The urge to drink rose, despite his every intention. For as deeply as he loved this woman, and cherished her very life, it paled, too weak to serve as his bulwark against the dark pleasure promised by his bloodlust._

_ "Vampires pride themselves on their strength," he reminded himself._

_ He laughed mentally. "Why then, is it so very easy to seduce us?"_

_ He bit through the lily scent, and the supple softness of her neck, into the sweetness of her blood. Accepting, rejecting, denying, craving his vampire's kiss, she filled his arms, instinctively behaving as any human does, when the death of a vampire takes them. He knew somehow, that her love for him would accept even this, either death in his arms or the deathlike birth into an unnatural life like his._

_ "So in the end, the weak human loves more strongly than the strong vampire," he laughed at the irony._

_ But her blood!_

_ It ran from him as if horrified at his betrayal of their love! It flowed AWAY from him as fast as it could, denying him even the bitter-sweet pleasure gained from taking her life. Her blood became a red tide he was unable to claim for himself, and unable to return to her, to bolster her life as it trickled through his fingers..._

_ "Oh, love! What have I done?! What have I done?!"_

"No...no..." Alucard moaned. 

Left Hand opened his eyes. Nightmare, he diagnosed, having seen D suffering from nightmares before. 

"...no...!" 

After his many years with D, Left Hand knew that Alucard's moaning wasn't enough to wake D while he was regenerating. He considered waking D himself, to let D deal with Alucard, but reasoned D still needed his healing sleep. Sighing mentally, he flipped himself over and 'walked' to Alucard's side. Forcing his features into as kindly and concerned an aspect as he could manage, since Alucard shouting in fear would definitely wake D, Left Hand jumped up to Alucard's shoulder and shook it. 

"Wake up. Wake up, Alucard," Left Hand whispered urgently. 

"What...?!" 

"You were dreaming. A bad dream from the sound of it," Left Hand whispered to him, "Do you want to..." Left Hand almost choked, "...talk about it?" 

Alucard almost laughed, "Telling my dreams would take the entire night!" 

"I don't need to sleep while D's regenerating," Left Hand noted, "I can listen." 

"And give you ammunition to torment me with? I think not!" Alucard stated flatly. 

Left Hand sighed, "Look, Lambchop," Alucard bristled at the nickname, "I only do that to get a rise out of you!" Left Hand admitted before he sighed again. 

"It would be a very weird circumstance where I'd act against what D wants. He doesn't control me. I don't control him. But we do have to live together. It's taken years for us to learn how. D's endured a week where I refused to work at all so he basically had only one hand and I..." Left Hand stopped and acted like he wouldn't continue. 

"You?" Alucard asked despite himself. 

"I pissed D off enough once that he...he encased me in a cast. I wasn't able to see, or talk, or move..." 

"Buried alive. I know what that feels like," Alucard said softly, "With nothing but dreams to keep you sane. I spend most of my life in dreams." 

"Why?" 

"Castlevania, Dracula's castle. It rises every one hundred years, inhabited by monsters. Human lives are so short, Castlevania's risings become just a memory and the monsters run free to terrorize them. The Belmont clan does what they can, but each rising of Castlevania is deadlier than the last. My mother was human. Kind and gentle. She told me to watch over humans, and protect them. So I do. But, in my dreams..." 

"You are still half-vampire. That part of you that you try to deny makes itself known in your dreams," Left Hand surmised. 

"I've never bitten...for blood. But the way of it, how to do it and the desire...it's in me," Alucard admitted, "When there are monsters to fight and labyrinths to solve, it doesn't trouble me. But when things are quiet, and I'm alone...I start to think about it...and want it." 

"So you sleep, when you aren't needed," Left Hand realized. 

"A sleep like death where I can't act on my dreams," Alucard agreed. 

"A terrible life." 

"In a way, I suppose. But I don't hurt people and I'm there to stop my father when he would hurt them. I envy D. He knew Dracula, his father, as more than just an adversary. I can tell he admires Father, so once there was something admirable in Father. I can't bring myself to kill Dracula. I know Castlevania will rise again. But this life I lead...I fear one day I will break my bonds of dreams and become...that which I despise the most." 

"It'd never happen," Left Hand offered almost flippantly. 

"How could you know?!" Alucard demanded. 

"You're too strong and noble. Just like D. Yeah, I admit I like teasin' you. I'm still gonna do it, too. But I will tell you, just this once, that I kinda like you too. The fact that you worry you might act on your vampire desires, prevents you from ever weakening to that point," Left Hand told him, "Trust me, I've been with D long enough to see how it works. D's life (and mine!) would be one heck of a lot easier if he'd just weaken...but it ain't gonna happen. You an' D are like two peas in a pod. You won't give in. The humans of your world have no idea how lucky they are!" 

Alucard was silent, pondering Left Hand's words, for a very long time. 

"Go back to sleep," Left Hand suggested, "You are trying to solve a mystery so your bloodlust dreams shouldn't be troubling you anyway!" Left Hand patted Alucard's shoulder awkwardly a couple of times before jumping down and returning to D's side. 

"Good night, Alucard," Left Hand whispered. 

"Good night, Left Hand," Alucard replied. He turned over and went back to sleep. 

"You're getting soft in your old age," D told Left Hand softly out of the blue. 

"Shut up," Left Hand advised. D smiled. 

---------------------- 

Reviews, comments and constructive criticisms are always welcome! Please feel free to email me also if you see something awkward that needs to be clarified or fixed. I need all the help I can get! 

stargarde@stargarde.com 

Next chapter teaser - Chapter Eleven - Familiar Territory 


	11. Familiar Territory

Author's notes - 

I admit it. I'm a terrible writer. Or at least too weak to control my main characters. Alucard wants to angst. I can't stop him. I'm so sorry! 

I'm really sorry for the delay too. Unfortunately, it's a creative delay. I'm still not satisfied with this chapter. How in the world does a bat perch upside down on a cave ceiling?! I know they do it somehow. Do they just fly at something, grab it with their feet and flop over upside down? Or do they turn in the air? I promise I'll research it when I go to rewrite this monster story! 

**Chapter Eleven - Familiar Territory**

"You know, it'd be so much easier if I had you around when Castlevania rises again!" Alucard noted as he and D broke the synergy between them. The stood back to back in a huge chamber full of dead monsters. Alucard had protected D's back from the wave of mutants and monsters desperately trying to save their vampire lord. Unhindered, D had destroyed that vampire lord himself.. 

"Mmm," D agreed. 

Their trek through the vampire stronghold had strengthened their fighting bond to the point where they could invoke it at will. They had discovered that of the two of them, Alucard was the better choice for scouting, as he could assume the forms of bat, wolf and mist. He was thus enabled to go into otherwise inaccessible areas. D's greatest strengths were his brutal efficiency with his sword and his vast experience fighting vampires and their minions. The synergy they shared made it possible for Alucard to find the easiest ways through or around the death traps and mutant-infested rooms and convey the route to D without having to backtrack and guide him. Truly, it was the quickest D had ever conquered a powerful stronghold. 

"With the vampire lord dead, we'd better get out of here, D!" Left Hand warned. 

"True," D agreed. 

The castle began to shudder, as the floor they were standing on developed a wave in it. Pieces of the ceiling rained down on them. 

"It's falling apart faster than usual!" Left Hand noted. 

"Castlevania does this too," Alucard said aloud. "Well, then, let me handle this!" 

"There might be stragglers, and we haven't the time to kill them if they attack," Alucard mused as he summoned Sword. "Sword will cut a route through any monsters for us. Follow me, but not too close. The mist form I'm assuming is poisonous!" Alucard warned D. He transformed into a sickly yellowish mist. D could see how even the falling rocks dissolved when they touched that mist. 

"Lead the way," D commanded. Sword took the point and Alucard carefully floated just above and slightly ahead to dissolve collapsing bits of ceiling before they hit D. 

Threading labyrinthine castles was so second nature to both Alucard and D, Sword was so gleefully lethal to any creature unfortunate to stumble into his path and Alucard's corrosive, poisonous mist so effective, that it was the easiest time D had ever had escaping a collapsing castle also. He could get used to having this half-brother around! 

Alucard resumed his dhampir form next to D on the hill overlooking the castle. They watched in quiet satisfaction as the earth reclaimed the vampire's stronghold. 

"Right about now is when I'd be thinking of finding my crypt in the sanctuary and sleeping for a hundred or so years," Alucard ruefully admitted. 

"Sounds boring," Left Hand offered. 

"It is," Alucard agreed. "This is much more fun!" 

D sighed, 'We need to discuss your definition of the word 'fun' sometime." D started down the hill. 

Alucard grinned as he followed. 

******** 

He liked D. He had much in common with him, aside from the father they shared. Their destinies aligned, much as their fighting skills did. They were destined to fight. D, in his world, fighting any and all vampires that would harm humans and Alucard in his, defeating his father century after century. D had Left Hand and Alucard had his familiars, but ultimately each one was a loner. The other half of each of their destinies was the internal struggle to deny the urges their vampire natures tempted them with. They'd never spoken of it. There was no need. 

That was one of the things Alucard liked best about D. D was quiet. Alucard knew his brother had a sense of humor, but it was a quiet humor. D appreciated absurd things. Alucard knew that D thoroughly enjoyed Left Hand's panic at Ghost's attack. He reflected that he and D shared unspoken communication that went beyond the scope of their fighting synergy. 

D's silence while they traveled allowed Alucard to ponder many things. Like how both he and D struggled with the same thing in their own natures. D accepted that struggle on a day-to-day basis, even so far as to live among humans, while he worked to protect them. The humans knew he was a vampire hunter. Most of them didn't realize that D was a half-vampire himself. 

Alucard felt almost ashamed that he chose to sleep when he wasn't needed instead of subjecting himself to the temptations D struggled with every day. 

Of course there were differences too. Alucard had to face his father at each of Castlevania's risings, and defeat him, to save the people he protected. Winning that battle against his father didn't carry the pure satisfaction defeating a vampire aristocrat brought. In that one way, D had the easier time of it. Alucard wished just once he could meet with his father and not have to battle against him. 

For some reason he remembered Val's earnest green eyes looking up into his. 

"There is a concern weighing your heart." 

Alucard wanted to laugh. No kidding! Many concerns he admitted. Castlevania, Dracula, the people threatened by both, whoever or whatever that person was who woke him and somehow led him here, finding out he had a 'brother' in D, what he'd learned about himself and his familiars, the list could go on... 

His familiars. They'd followed him somehow, bringing themselves and the items he'd left behind at the sanctuary to help him here. There was extraordinary loyalty in that. Each familiar, Fairy, Bat, Ghost, Demon and Sword was useful in his or her own way. Each one had his or her own personality. Each one was...dear, Alucard had to admit, in his or her own way as well. 

Fairy...and Bat. What his familiars decided to do about Bat's problem still amazed him. Alucard had been stunned to learn that Bat was mortal. He'd never had reason to wonder about it. He was touched that Fairy was so tender-hearted that she became concerned enough to act as she did. Fairy would never complain, Alucard knew, but he had seen the sorrow in her eyes over losing her own wings to accept Bat's instead. And though it was amusing that Bat had been so anxious to fly close when he'd first taken his bat form here that they had collided, it was sad as well, that though she still lived, Bat was no longer herself. He wondered if perhaps he should have spoken with Val about it. She seemed knowledgeable in how magical items worked. Perhaps there was something that could be done. 

What was the rest of Val's reading? 

"If you remember who you are, you will find you have the way." 

What could that mean? 

******** 

"It was a curse," Demon said. 

"A curse?" 

"Yeah. I'm a demon. Curse magic is the only kind I can use." 

"Fairy knew that? That it was a curse and irreversible that is?" Alucard asked. 

"Of course," Demon shrugged. "Bat did too. I made sure they knew first. They are, we all are familiars for you. I'd never do anything to harm any of 'em!" Demon twisted his tail in his hands. 

"I see. Completely irreversible?" Alucard asked. 

"_I_ can't reverse it," Demon told him. "Someone very powerful might be able to." 

"You are concerned?" D asked after Alucard dismissed Demon. 

"Concerned, yes," Alucard admitted. "Fairy's not happy and I suspect Bat isn't really happy either." 

"And their happiness matters to you?" 

"Well, yes," Alucard was startled at the question. "Isn't Left Hand's happiness important to you?" 

"Not at all," D told him in a dry voice. 

"Quite the opposite!" Left Hand declared. "D delights in torturing me!" 

"Yeah, yeah. I bet you deserve it too!" Alucard told the parasite. 

"That's beside the point!" 

"What are you planning to do?" D asked muffling the rest of Left Hand's comments by closing his hand tightly. 

"I don't know yet. I think I might be able to do something to help them be happy. If I just remember who I am," Alucard replied softly. 

******** 

"If this works, can I ask you to watch Fairy for me?" Alucard asked. 

"Of course," D replied. 

"And...uh...keep her from interfering?" 

D nodded. 

"I hope this works!" Alucard muttered as he summoned Fairy/Bat. 

"I"ll follow you anywhere!" Fairy declared as she appeared and floated down. 

"Yes, I know. Right now, though, could you come here?" Alucard asked, holding out his hand. 

Fairy floated into Alucard's hand with a puzzled look on her face. 

"It is amazing what you've done to save Bat. I do appreciate it. But, Bat's welfare, and yours, are my responsibility, as your Master," Alucard told her. "It's time I took that responsibility back." 

Alucard transformed into his bat form. Unsupported, Fairy fell. Her wings opened to catch her. She shuddered. As Alucard had hoped, his sudden transformation to this specific form, while actually holding Fairy in his hands was too much for Bat. It appeared as if Fairy's bat wings weren't under her control as they flapped wildly. After a moment, Alucard was nearly knocked from the air by a very affectionate Bat, while Fairy almost fell to the ground in her extreme shock. 

"Master Alucard!" she gasped as her wings finally caught her. Alucard returned to his dhampir form. Bat fluttered around his head in a paroxysm of delight until Alucard patted his shoulder, indicating that Bat should alight. Even then, she kept stroking her head along his cheek much as a cat would. 

"It worked," he stated calmly. 

"You did that...on purpose?!" Fairy demanded. "Why?! Now Bat will age and die! The scroll Demon used was consumed in the spell. He can't cast it again!" 

"Trust me," Alucard advised mildly, "Now, stay here with D for a moment. I need to talk with Bat privately." 

Alucard reached a hand up to stroke Bat's wings while he walked off. 

"Aren't you happy you have your own wings again?" D asked Fairy. 

"I do?" she asked, turning in the air to see them. 

"Yes," D replied. "They are prettier than Bat's wings," he offered. 

"Oh..." Fairy drifted over and after reading D's expression, dared to sit on his shoulder. "I'm glad about that, I suppose. And...Bat's thoughts aren't racing around in my head either. That's good too. But..." 

"She really is nice. So devoted to Alucard. And now she will die. I don't want to see that happen!" 

"Mortal things die," D noted serenely. "It is the way of the world. I think you should watch Alucard and Bat." 

Fairy looked over to where Alucard held Bat in his hands several yards away. He stroked along her wings while he spoke with her for a long time. 

"He's really wonderful. Alucard's the best Master I've ever had," Fairy commented, "That he's so concerned about us, when many don't even think we have will or feelings...he's just very nice!" 

"I know he has been worried about you and what you did to save Bat," D offered. 

"I knew what I was doing," Fairy replied. 

"Oh! He's being so kind to her!" Fairy commented, as Alucard shifted to his bat form once again. 

"Mmmm," D grunted. 

"What's he doing?" Fairy asked. 

Alucard reversed himself in the air with a few flaps of his wings and perched upside down on a branch of a tree. After a moment, Bat perched next to him. Alucard opened his wing. Bat sidled next to him until she was pressed again his side. Alucard enveloped Bat completely in his wings. 

Fairy turned puzzled eyes toward D. D nodded gravely toward Alucard again. 

Alucard opened his wings and dropped from the tree, turning and reverting to his dhampir form as he did so. He reached up and gently removed Bat from the tree. Carrying her in his hands, he walked back toward Fairy and D. 

"Master Alucard! What did you do?!" Fairy cried out in distress, seeing how still Bat was in his hands. Fairy darted from D's shoulder and reached out to touch Bat. 

"She's still...and limp! You...you killed her!" Fairy accused. 

"Yes..." Alucard admitted. 

Fairy wailed and threw herself against D's chest for comfort. D tried to turn Fairy so she could see Alucard again, but she burrowed deeply into his cloak instead. 

"I don't want to be his familiar anymore! How could he kill her?! Master D, can't I be your familiar instead?!" Fairy sobbed. 

"Fairy, no. I have more than I can stand with Left Hand." 

"Hey!" Left Hand protested. 

"Even though you seem to be much more helpful," D told her. 

"HEY!" Left Hand protested more loudly. 

"But you should let Alucard speak. I'm certain everything isn't as dire as it appears." 

"Fairy, please let me explain," Alucard asked. 

Fairy turned and looked at Alucard again. She started to tear up when she noticed Bat lying so still in Alucard's hands. 

"Come here," Alucard sat on the ground, cradled Bat in his lap and offered his knee for Fairy to sit on. Reluctantly, since D refused to free her from her familiar-bond with Alucard, Fairy obeyed. 

"I thought long and hard about this situation. Believe me, I wouldn't have done this if I hadn't explained everything to Bat first, and gotten her permission to try. I felt very guilty that you had to do so much to save Bat for me. I wondered if there was something I could do. I spoke with Demon and found out that the spell he cast, the curse he placed on you and Bat, couldn't be reversed. I thought, perhaps, I could force Bat to separate from you." 

"This would free you, but doom Bat, right?" Alucard asked. 

Fairy nodded, huge tears welling in her eyes again. 

"That wouldn't do. I realize how very tender-hearted you are, Fairy. And I can't ignore Bat's devotion and affection either," Fairy just then noticed that Alucard had been stroking Bat the whole time, "I think you might have forgotten, because sometimes I do too, that I am half-vampire. You know I turn into a different kind of bat myself, than the simple cave bat that Bat is." 

"Right. You become a vampire bat," Fairy stated. "Oh!" 

Alucard smiled, "Yes, 'Oh!' It seems so simple; I should have thought of it before. Do you realize what I did, or should I tell you?" 

"I realize, I think, but tell me anyway, Master Alucard!" Fairy smiled tremulously up toward Alucard. 

"I don't know for sure, but I thought that if I turned into a vampire bat and if I remembered that I am half-vampire, I could bite Bat as a vampire bites a human. Since she is a bat, if as a vampire bat I drank her blood and took her mortal life away, there might be a chance that she could become a vampire bat too. It is my hope that she revives as a vampire bat with a supernatural life as immortal as yours." 

"But it might not work that way," Alucard admitted, stroking the dead Bat in his lap. 

"But you tried. Oh, Alucard! I hope it works as you planned!" Fairy wished fervently. 

"I do too. Will you stay, Fairy? Will you remain my familiar?" Alucard asked. 

"Of course, Master Alucard. Now that I understand," Fairy agreed. 

"Good! Then, will you stay with me now, and watch her, so that if she does awaken, she's with a friend?" 

"I'd like nothing more," Fairy whispered, reaching forward herself to pat Bat's wings. 

---------------------- 

Reviews, comments and constructive criticisms are always welcome! Please feel free to email me also if you see something awkward that needs to be clarified or fixed. I need all the help I can get! 

stargarde@stargarde.com 

Next chapter teaser - Chapter Twelve - Beauty   



	12. Beauty

Author's notes - 

Just because I'm in a really bad mood, and she's not needed anymore, Bat stays dead. Yep, she never revives; Alucard did actually out-and-out kill her. 

No one's expecting it, it's a complete surprise, and darnit, this is a story about two half-vampires, it should be dark and dire and doom-filled! I think Alucard's mad at me that everyone thinks he's 'cute', too. >_ 

Why on earth did it take me to Chapter Twelve to find the darkness needed to write a vampire story?! 

*Read anyway!* ^_~ 

**Chapter Twelve - Beauty**

"Alucard?" Fairy called. 

Alucard parted his cloak revealing the sling he'd fashioned to carry Fairy and Bat in. 

"Yes, Fairy?" 

"I think...something is happening," Fairy told him. 

"We can stop here," D offered, spying a fallen tree. Alucard sat on the log while D opted to stand and lean against a tree. 

"You should hold her," Fairy told Alucard as she flew around his head. "She'd be thrilled to wake in your hands." 

"Fairy, I'm not sure it's wise to encourage her," Alucard admitted. "I would be sad if Bat dies. She is a very useful familiar. I find her affection endearing but..." 

"Oh, don't worry about that!" Fairy interrupted. "Bat thinks you are the handsomest bat she's ever seen, but she knows you are more than that. She just wants to be your familiar. There's nothing to be concerned with. What she feels is the appropriate affection of a familiar for her master." 

"Okay," Alucard took Bat from the sling and laid her across his lap. 

"She is bigger than she was, isn't she?" D asked. 

"I think so." 

"It is a very unique solution to your problem, if this worked," D continued. 

Bat shivered suddenly. Automatically, Alucard reached down and stroked her wings, calming the shuddering. D felt a slight, familiar weight on his left shoulder. 

"Isn't this exciting?!" Fairy exclaimed. 

"Yes, it is." 

"D! I can't see!" Left Hand complained. 

"Master D, please let Left Hand see. I know you don't like being so mean to him all the time," Fairy pleaded. 

"Yeah, what she said!" Left Hand agreed. 

D removed his glove and stared down into Left Hand's face. 

"You will behave?" D demanded, "No comments, no nicknames? This is important to Alucard." 

"I'll be good," Left Hand squirmed. D sighed and turned his hand over to show Fairy that Left Hand was trying to cross two fingers to negate his promise. 

Fairy giggled. D smiled slightly too before glaring down. 

"Honestly, will you behave? If not, you won't get to see. I won't let you ruin this," D warned. 

Left Hand blinked his eyes several times innocently as if the last thing to ever cross his mind was an evil thought. Fairy giggled again, "He'll be good!" 

Sighing, D turned his attention back to Alucard and Bat. Violent shudders were passing through poor Bat as the last of the change went through her. Alucard stroked and soothed. D knew it was quite possible these were the last delayed death throes. Bat might still simply...die. 

"He...tried. No matter what, Master Alucard tried," Fairy whispered, evidently thinking the same dire thoughts D did. 

"Don't worry," Left Hand offered. 

Bat flailed about frantically before going completely stiff. Alucard gasped and leaned over her. 

"Oh, no!" Fairy cried out. 

Alucard looked up into D's face. It was the subtlest of changes, but D could read guilt, dismay and sorrow in Alucard's eyes. 

"Master Alucard!" Fairy darted over to reach out and touch Alucard's shoulder, "You tried! It's okay...it's okay..." 

"Why did I have such a vivid dream about drinking blood, if not to lead to this?" Alucard whispered. 

"Heh, heh!" Left Hand cackled. 

"What?" D demanded. 

"It's kinda funny, D. Alucard was so sure this would work and Bat is a stiff pile of fur and wings in his lap. C'mon, isn't it funny?!" Left Hand stuck his tongue out at Alucard. 

Fairy charged right up to Left Hand and belted him just as hard as she could. 

"Ouch!" D complained. 

"Oh! I'm sorry, Master D, but Left Hand is so mean!" 

"No one ever believes me about him," D muttered. 

Alucard wished he could muster even a sad smile that Fairy was acting like his champion. He'd been so sure that his bite would work! That dream he'd had about drinking blood and Val's prediction that he had the way if he remembered what he was, seemed to indicate that this would work. All the signs were that he could save Bat himself, without requiring a lifelong sacrifice from Fairy. 

Alucard felt something. He looked down into Bat's softly glowing red eyes and realized she was licking his chin to get his attention. 

"Hungry!" she conveyed the thought somehow very directly and unmistakably to Alucard. 

"BAT!" Alucard hugged her cautiously tight. 

"BAT!!! She's okay, she's okay!" Fairy damn near turned cartwheels in the air. 

Bat stroked her head along Alucard's cheek affectionately. "HUNGRY!" Her demand, again somehow mysteriously planted in his mind, was more insistent. 

Alucard laughed, "Okay, okay! D, I've got to take the little one out for a hunt. She's famished." 

"Go," D suggested. Alucard shifted to his bat form, Bat delightedly took her accustomed place under his wing, matching wing beats as she did so, and they flew off. 

Fairy calmed down and very deliberately turned her back on Left Hand. "I didn't see it! Because of you!" she accused. 

"Fairy," Left Hand began quietly, "would you have wanted such a private moment observed if it were you?" 

Fairy turned around again in surprise, "You knew?! You knew she was okay?!" 

"Yeah, I've seen awakenings before. I could tell she was fine." 

D looked in astonishment down into Left Hand's face at that. 

"But I missed it!" Fairy pouted. 

"Yeah, Bat and Alucard had their moment alone. Don't worry though! I'm sure you and Bat can gossip about it to your heart's content later!" Left Hand declared. "Besides, I couldn't let the opportunity to have you slug D pass by!" 

"Oh! I'd forgotten about that! Did I hurt you, D?" Fairy was apologetically concerned. 

"No, Fairy, I am fine," D told her with a straight face. 

"Oh, that's a relief! I should go and tell Demon and the others," Fairy decided, "D, would you please let Alucard know I've gone when he gets back? I sure hope he summons me again right away so I can talk with Bat..." Fairy drifted up and disappeared. 

"You're pure evil," D told Left Hand. 

"Yeah, ain't it grand?" Left Hand winked. 

******** 

"I can summon both of them at the same time now," Alucard observed as Bat and Fairy flew off together. Fairy was giggling, reaching out to touch Bat's wing every once in a while. 

"How did the hunt go?" D asked. Despite himself, he was curious. 

"She's still eating the same things she used to. Even though she's a vampire bat now, I don't think she's become a vampire. I don't think she's going to need blood. I have to admit, I didn't even think of that before I bit her," Alucard responded. 

"That would be inconvenient," D agreed. "What changes have you noticed?" 

"She's bigger and stronger, and a little smarter too, I think. She's got Force of Echo now, that's very useful! She can use it to talk to me." 

"Talk?!" Left Hand interjected. 

"Just a word or two. The interesting thing is, it works when I'm a dhampir too. I don't have to be a bat for her to talk to me." 

"I just wish I knew if the whole reason for doing this worked," Alucard mused. 

"She's alive, well, not dead," D observed. 

"But will she still age and die? Has she become something supernatural, like the rest of my familiars?" Alucard questioned. 

Left Hand shook and scrunched his face tight. He groaned and bit his tongue. He finally said aloud, "Yeah, it worked. I wasn't gonna tell you, and let you sweat it out. Dammit! That stupid fairy is rubbing off on me!" 

"Yes, you've become the soul of sweetness," D commented drily. 

"Are you sure? How do you know? You aren't just teasing, are you?" Alucard demanded. 

"No, I'm on the level, kid. I haven't exactly seen a dhampir sire a vampire bat before, but I've seen things like it. It worked, I can sense it. You don't hafta worry about Bat anymore. She and Fairy," Left Hand gagged dramatically, "will be friends for a long, long time!" 

Alucard still looked skeptical. 

"Sheesh! What's a parasite gotta do to get some cred around here?!" Left Hand complained. 

"Earn it," D stated. 

******** 

_ A face before him. A handsome face. No...a beautiful face. The curve of cheek flowing as gently as a bird's wing. The jaw line stunning in its strength and force. Skin as pure and unsullied as a child's or as new-fallen snow. The nose straight and proud, never broken, so right in its alignment and symmetry with just enough flare to the nostrils and just enough curve to the arch to earn the adjective 'perfect'._

_ A mass of dark, wavy hair, a vanity at such a length, but what a perfect vanity! And not a thing feminine about it, when it flowed past such broad shoulders. No tendency to slump here, the carriage and posture hinted at strength and lightly held power. But back, he found his gaze drawn irresistibly back into the beautiful face._

_ Sensual lips, he longed to reach and touch to feel the curve and softness for himself. Such lips...could actually be made less beautiful by curving into a smile._

_ The eyes so perfectly placed in this beautiful face were surrounded by thick, dark lashes that most envious women were forced to aid nature to obtain. The shape of the eyebrows hinted that this beautiful man was more that what he seemed._

_ Not a wrinkle marred his forehead or around his eyes, laugh lines didn't detract from his beauty, the line of his jaw flowed into the strength of his neck without the interruption of the least sag or wrinkle. Unmarked by time, his beauty gave no hint of his age._

_ But his eyes. Therein hid the answer. Dark, stormy sea-blue, holding pain and sorrow and death, the unshielded gaze betrayed the secret weight of the beautiful man's years._

_ He'd seen many faces of beauty, usually worn by women, sometimes enhanced by artifice, glittering beauty, soft beauty, gentle beauty, undemanding beauty, the beauty of a snowflake, candle flame or flower petal that asks only to be recognized. Beauty for its own sake and nothing more._

_ But this! This beautiful man! This is the beauty of the hunting cat or thorned rose, the beauty that conceals lethal danger, the beauty one ignores to one's own peril. This is beauty become a weapon. This beauty he would choose to make his own. This beauty is the beauty he would become!_

_ The beautiful man's eyes focused on his. He waited, in breathless anticipation for the flash of recognition in the beautiful man's eyes, for his own beauty, which he knew rivaled this man's, to earn the admiration and respect he knew it deserved, just as this man's beauty had earned his near-worship._

_ The beautiful man's gaze slid over him as if he were nothing._

_ NOTHING!_

_ Something black and horrible curdled within him._

Alarm shredded his dream. Alucard stood over himself with a sword in his hand...no, Alucard looked up and recognized D standing over him with bared steel... 

Alucard broke the synergistic connection with his brother, wearily brushed his hair from his face and sat up. 

"Again?" 

"Yes," D replied, lifting his sword out of Alucard's way. 

"Look, does this mist ever do anything threatening? If it's just hovering and your sword can't hurt it anyway, maybe it'd be best to just leave it alone," Alucard commented. "And stop scaring me awake," he added in a low voice. 

Unexpectedly, D chuckled, "Not getting enough beauty rest?" He offered his hand to help Alucard stand. 

"It's almost dawn anyway. We should be heading out," D noted as he pulled Alucard up. 

Suddenly eye to eye with D, Alucard gasped, "It's you!" 

"What?" 

Alucard seemed startled. A look of intense loathing passed over his features before he shook his head. 

"Nothing. It's nothing," he muttered, "We should get going." 

Alucard wondered at the hidden meaning in his dream as they trekked in the direction of the next town. If his dream about drinking a woman's blood was to help him discover how to save Bat, what did this dream about D's beauty portend? 

Trying to recover the details of his dream, he watched D. He did admit D was an extraordinarily beautiful man. This fact had never meant anything to him before. For some reason today, it filled him with a vague anger, almost a hatred. Why was D so damned beautiful?! And why had he never mentioned Alucard's beauty?! Didn't he recognize it?! 

"You've been quiet all day," D noted as they set up the camp that night. Though they could have gone into the nearby town and sought out an inn, they'd mutually decided not to. D tended to avoid spending too much time among humans if he could and Alucard was busy wrestling with his unsettling feelings. 

"I've been thinking today," Alucard replied shortly. It was crazy! He almost felt like he hated D, for not recognizing that he was fully as beautiful as D! Yet, Alucard knew that beauty, D's or his own, didn't matter. He had never been vain before, why were such feelings troubling him now? Just because of a dream? It made no sense... 

"I'm...tired," Alucard finally said aloud. "I'm going to sleep." 

D nodded. They never talked much, but there had never been a day where they didn't talk at all. And this morning, when he'd waken Alucard...it seemed as if Alucard hated him. This went beyond the understandable mistrust D had seen once in Alucard's eyes, upon waking to see D reaching for his sword and finding no reason in the camp. Alucard was not acting like himself. 

Oh. D had attacked the mist again this morning. What was it Alucard had said? To leave it alone since D couldn't do anything to it anyway? Maybe whatever the mist was trying to do to Alucard would explain the change D noticed today. He always reacted as soon as he realized the mist was there, trying to get it away from Alucard as quickly as possible. Maybe it was time to leave the mist alone. Perhaps he could find out what it intended if he let it have Alucard without interfering. He had decided to use Alucard as bait once, but he always stopped whatever the mist was trying to do whenever it appeared. 

He hadn't realized his instincts had become so protective of Alucard. It appeared as if they had started to get in the way of determining what was going on and taking care of the threat, if threat it was, once and for all. He resolved to leave the mist alone the next time it came to hover over Alucard. Maybe then he could figure out what its purpose was. Maybe the hatred he'd seen in Alucard's eyes every time he looked at him today, the hatred that D didn't want to admit distressed him, would go away if D solved the mystery of the mist. 

----------------------   
Author's notes - 

Yeah, down here for once! Did I scare ya up top? I think it's amusing that everyone assumed Bat would survive. Is this story really so predictable? Of course, Bat did revive, so maybe it is... *sigh!* 

Part of me really did want to keep her dead, y'know. The story's gotten so sweet, some bitterness and death would bring it back to where it belongs! >_ Darnit that I'm too weak to be so ruthless! I probably don't have what it takes to be writing a vampire story in the first place! Sentimental dhampirs?! 

Maybe I can make it up with what happens in the next chapter. *Heh, heh, heh!* 

Reviews, comments and constructive criticisms are always welcome! Please feel free to email me also if you see something awkward that needs to be clarified or fixed. I need all the help I can get! 

stargarde@stargarde.com 

Next chapter teaser - Chapter Thirteen - Alucard's Final Dream 


	13. Alucard's Final Dream

Author's notes - 

Heh, heh, heh. 

**Chapter Thirteen - Alucard's Final Dream**

_ He opened his eyes. He recognized the room he was in as the one where he had seen the beautiful man. The beautiful man was gone allowing him to see out into the vast room. It shook and trembled. Giant, elaborate chandeliers crashed to the ground, resonating discordant music as they smashed their crystals everywhere. Slim, decorated columns collapsed bringing more of the ceiling down. He probably should have felt panic; curiously he didn't._

_ "Good! You have not been destroyed yet!" A woman appeared, as if by magic, before him._

_ She had once possessed a glittering sort of beauty but some ordeal had robbed her of it. In fact, she had been robbed of everything. The woman was nothing more than the tattered shreds of a soul bound together by implacable hatred._

_ "He's finished what his father had begun!" she raved. "His father...yes...that is how I will seal my vengeance! His father gave me the key!"_

_ "Take this!" she commanded, holding out a black stone carved with a white face. "I ripped it from his father when his father killed me. With it, you can leave, escape this doomed castle and exact my vengeance upon the son!"_

_ He reached forward and took the stone. He felt as though he we reaching through a film, one that permitted his hand to pass through, but solidified to stop the object. He pulled harder until he pulled the stone through the resistance._

_ "Bah! Are you stupid?! You should have stepped forward to take it!" the woman screeched. "How else will you escape?!"_

_ He gaped at her, not comprehending._

_ "You must use that amulet to open a dimensional doorway and escape before the castle comes down. You can travel to any world Dracula has ever been. Do so. Learn and grow, nurture the hatred that bore you. Become strong enough to kill him!"_

_ He still stared, not understanding her ravings._

_ "Ah!" she screamed again. "Fine, you stupid thing! A geas, to bind you to my last command!"_

_ "Step from the mirror, you who hatred bore, and hunt the one who slew me._   
_ Then, you too must die that worlds will not recall the hunter named D!"_

_ The spell took hold in him, fanning his hatred of the beautiful man who ignored him, D, beyond all bearing. Beyond any thought of forgiveness or mercy._

_ Finally satisfied with her last act, the soul of the vampire Carmilla embraced annihilation._

_ He stepped forward from the mirror. He glanced down at the amulet the vampire's ghost had given him to complete her last spiteful act of revenge. It had strangely twinned as it passed through the mirror again, doubling in size in his hand. He turned, beholding once more the beauty that had captivated him, before a column smashed the mirror into thousands of shards._

_ He smiled deeply baring his fangs, ripped open the dimensions with the power of the amulet of his father, and disappeared._

Alucard struggled to wake from his horrific dream. 

******** 

D's eyes widened as the mist hovering above Alucard finally took solid form. 

"Oh, my God, D! It's you!" Left Hand exclaimed. 

"Not really," the newcomer grinned. "I actually know how to have fun!" 

He stepped over Alucard as his gaze assessed D. Intense, unremitting loathing sparked in his stormy sea-blue eyes. "You've no idea who I am, but you made me. I now know why you ignored me. You have no use for beauty, so you never noticed me. Well, I have the same beauty you do, and I know how to enjoy it!" 

He whirled on his heel, swirling his cloak around playfully. D noticed the long red feather pinned jauntily to the brim of his hat. There were other, more subtle changes to this impostor's attire, but it was easy to see how Alucard had mistaken him for D. He shared D's height and bearing. The long brown hair running in waves down his back exactly matched D's tone. The rarefied line of chin and cheek, the easy grace, the long billowy cloak, distinctively brimmed hat and nigh unique sword were all exactly as D possessed. 

D's twin snorted derisively, "You despise, hunt and slaughter vampires for harming humans. You don't want to admit that humans are here simply for us. To love, if we deign, or eat if we want. So many worlds, Dracula sired so many vampires. And sired so many dhampirs too! His is a legend that will never die. I want that! The vampire witch who made me commanded me to die once you were dead. I think I've become strong enough to break that part of her geas. But you, you will die!" 

He whirled away, drawing his sword as he did so. 

"Let's see if I've learned enough to take you, D!" he cried out bringing his sword in with a sideways slash. 

"Who are you?!" D demanded as he drew his sword and blocked the attack. 

"You looked in a mirror once and never acknowledged your reflection. Such a crime, to ignore the beauty I have. You'll pay for that crime! Besides, you have to die," the doppelganger claimed. "To fulfill my geas, I won't take your name. D, the Vampire Hunter, will be forgotten. However, I will take your place in destiny in this world. You can bet I will have more fun with it than you ever would! You might as well call me 'eeD'." 

"Your reflection?!" Left Hand asked incredulously. 

"And yours, or haven't you noticed my Right Hand?" 

eeD held up his right hand, waggling the fingers to show a weird little face. Strangely enough, it had been painted to resemble a mime. 

"He's a bit busy now, maintaining our solidity until I destroy you, so don't expect that he's going to talk," eeD told him. "You're not missing much, as I'm afraid Right Hand is quite mad." 

"Now, the fight to see which of us is fit to survive! The original, or the reflection!" 

D found himself hard pressed, fighting against one who knew all his moves as well as he did. 

"Do you feel it, D? The last minutes of your life are ticking away! Tick, tick, tick!" eeD taunted. 

******** 

"Not gonna happen! You'll never wake up! You're mine! Finally, you are mine!" 

_What?!_

"It took so long, night after night, dream by dream, taking piece by piece, but your soul is my pretty little toy now!" 

_No! I will fight you!_

"A little bit of your will lives in a nightmare dream, but that dream will soon end. Alucard, my puppet, my poppet, you are our way to destroy D!" 

_What?!_

"Hee, hee! Masterful, masterful! Tease you, taunt you, give you the amulet! Anchor in your soul, hee, hee! Entice you to the one Dracula world we couldn't enter unaided. Use the power of your soul to become solid and real here. Once we slay D, it won't matter anymore, but I think I'll keep your soul! Such a shiny-bright-pretty-white plaything!" 

Alucard struggled with all his might to break the nightmare. He failed. 

******** 

"Did you hear that, D?" Left Hand asked. 

"Hear what?" D demanded, parrying another vicious attack. 

"I think Right Hand was talking," Left Hand said. "Mimes aren't supposed to talk!" Left Hand noted with indignation. 

eeD pressed D with a vicious barrage of attacks, his sword slashing and cutting, stabbing and dancing, becoming a lethal wall of moving steel. 

"Do you remember that story you read when you were little, D? About the shadow that became a man? The shadow left the man, traveled the world and learned many things. When it returned, it forced the man who cast it originally to become his shadow. I'm not stupid enough to think you would ever behave that way, though the thought is intriguing. I could pass by a mirror, look at you and completely ignore all that you are...but alas! In order for me to fully enter this world, to become real here, you have to die anyway. It's probably for the best!" eeD taunted. 

******** 

"OH! I like you, Alucard! So strong you are! And such nifty playthings you give me!" 

Alucard fought with all of his strength to break free of the black nightmare world, fearful that he understood what the mad raving meant. 

"How unkind of me. You'll go mad, soon enough! Until then, I can at least let you see what is happening!" 

Suddenly Alucard could see D fighting against himself. 

"No, that's not D. That's us. eeD and me. I'm his Right Hand! Hee, hee! He relies on me! Right Hand, get it?" 

Alucard wondered how he was able to see. He stared, waiting until he could see the right palm of the man fighting against D. Sure enough, there was a weird little face nestled there. Alucard recognized from the extreme whiteness of it the face that had bitten him and awakened him in his sanctuary, priming him to hunt after D. This 'eeD', had been there as well, taunting him for sleeping his life away. So, from what Right Hand had said...he'd been used so they could come here, to this world, and attack D. 

The view of the fight changed in a way that was frightfully familiar. His sword snaked out and sliced into D's back, opening a gash. 

_Nooo!_ Alucard moaned. 

Struggle as he might, Alucard was unable to do anything but watch helplessly as he was forced to attack D. He couldn't feel anything from his body. He was unable to move, to stop the attacks. He was only able to witness, as a will not his own controlled him. That alien will forced him to attack his brother, and Alucard was utterly helpless to stop it. 

******** 

D felt a sword sink into his back, even though eeD's blade was trapped on his. 

"Oh, what fun, Right Hand!" eeD crowed. "I can see through Alucard's eyes now! How'd you do that?" 

"Oh, no! The synergy! D, they're using the synergy against you!" Left Hand cried out. 

"And Alucard. They are using him too. You might hate me, eeD, but what did Alucard do to you?" D demanded. 

"Nothing. Alucard is a tool and nothing more," eeD responded. 

"He's your complete opposite, D," Left Hand realized. "Not just flipped in appearance, but in his soul as well. He's callous where you care and selfish when you would be honorable." 

"So the fact that Alucard is his brother means nothing to him," D surmised. 

"Right! So what? He's not really a brother as he came from a different dimension anyway! He's just another son of Dracula, that's all," eeD claimed. "You wouldn't believe some of the sons of Dracula I've met. Daughters too. I think the daughters are even worse!" eeD made a disgusted face. 

"But I weary of this. Now that Right Hand has complete control over Alucard, and started the...what did Left Hand call it? Synergy? You're doomed. There's nothing you can do to save yourself against two swordsmen of our level, working in complete unison!" eeD exulted. 

D grimly focused his attacks on eeD, trying with all his skill to land a crippling blow. He would do nothing more than defend against Alucard's attacks, though there were more openings in his brother's defenses. D faltered each time his battle instinct urged him to attack Alucard. His battle became not just against eeD and Alucard, but against himself, and his own battle instincts. 

"You have to take Alucard out before..." Left Hand began. 

"No!" D interrupted. "I won't attack him. I promised." 

His eyes are blank. He's not there. If you are to have any chance to survive, you must!" Left Hand told D insistently. 

D ignored Left Hand and battled on, trying to take eeD out while dodging and deflecting the attacks from Alucard's sword. 

Left Hand realized that D wouldn't see reason. Unless he did something D, and himself, were doomed. 

"eeD says that Right Hand is controlling Alucard. Perhaps I can disrupt that if I... Oh...is this what Val meant? To save D, I have to destroy Alucard?" Left Hand thought frantically. 

"There's no other way..." Left Hand realized as D took another vicious cut to his side from whatever was controlling Alucard. 

"You have to trust me, D! Let me take care of Alucard!" Left Hand called out. "D, you must!" he continued, sensing D's resolve to ignore him. 

"You know he would hate to be used against you like this. Wouldn't you want Alucard to do something, if something were controlling you against your will? Pullin' your strings?" Left Hand reasoned, playing his trump card. 

D parried, dodged, deflected and leaped, trying vainly to find some weakness in eeD's defense that he could exploit. Blood from a deep cut ran down his arm, making his hand slick upon his blade, adding to the considerable difficulty he was in. A dozen cuts, varied in depth and severity, were starting to slow him down, their attrition starting to take its toll on his ability to continue defending himself against two skilled attackers. 

"Make it quick," D finally commanded. "If there's anything of Alucard still there, don't let him suffer." 

D smashed Alucard's blade aside, threw his sword up to tumble in the air, and jumped forward to grab Alucard with both hands. 

******** 

Alucard watched helplessly as he was forced to attack D again and again. He was unable to close his eyes or turn away, forced to watch each attack too. He wished D would attack him and take him out of the fight. Alucard wondered in horror if his sword, his body, would be the ones to land the lethal blow on his brother. Never in all of his dreams, had Alucard even envisioned horror such as this. 

Suddenly, an image from one of his most terrifying memories resolved before him. The weird little face of Left Hand, with the open-eyed concentrating look that Alucard had seen once before touched his face. Suddenly, Alucard felt the fatigue of the fight burning through his limbs and D's arms wrapping around him. He could feel his body again! He knew then that Left Hand had the power to wrest him free him of Right Hand's control. 

Right Hand struggled to protect his soul, and hold him, anchored in his own body, against Left Hand's attack. Alucard felt as if he would be torn in two as Left Hand and Right Hand battled for his soul. Though he knew Left Hand held only oblivion and death, Alucard struggled to tip the scales toward Left Hand's favor, pitting all of his will to help D's parasite win. If Right Hand won, D was doomed. Alucard was not about to let that happen. 

Right Hand's hold on his soul slipped. The black oblivion of Left Hand reached out and triumphantly claimed him. 

----------------------   
Author's notes - 

The story of the shadow becoming a man that eeD refers to is Hans Christian Andersen's "The Shadow". 

Reviews, comments and constructive criticisms are always welcome! Please feel free to email me also if you see something awkward that needs to be clarified or fixed. I need all the help I can get! 

stargarde@stargarde.com 

Next chapter teaser - Chapter 14 - *omitted to increase dramatic tension*   



	14. Darkest Hour

Author's notes - 

... 

**Chapter Fourteen - Darkest Hour**

Alucard's eyes closed, his arms flopped uselessly at his side and his head slumped over in the bonelessly final way of a dead thing. 

"NOOOOOO!" Right Hand wailed. "I lost my precious poppet!" 

"What?!" eeD asked. 

D knelt, opened his arms and placed Alucard's still body on the ground. 

Fairy streaked down from above screaming as she crashed into the ground next to Alucard. "Master Alucard!" she raved. "Oh, no! What have you done?! D, what have you done?!" 

"What I had to do," D told her as he smoothed a lock of hair from Alucard's face. He stood up. 

"Now, you die," he told eeD, reaching forward to catch his sword from the tumbling path he had placed it on before using Left Hand to destroy Alucard. 

"Oh, please! I don't need Alucard or his silly synergy to beat you," eeD told him. "Evidently Right Hand absorbed enough energy from Alucard, before you killed him, to keep me solid here for at least a little while longer. Tell you what!" eeD said playfully. "What say I kill you and finalize my right to exist in the dimension before that energy runs out!?" 

D had never faced an opponent as tough before. Not only did eeD know all of D's attacks and how to counter them, but he had also learned techniques on his dimensional travels that D had never seen. Try as he might, D wasn't able to land a single hit on eeD. D found his defenses battered down. He'd never felt this helpless against a single opponent before. His arms burned with fatigue. He was just able to prevent his legs from shaking from exertion. The effort was making it harder and harder to dodge or harmlessly deflect eeD's attacks. D admitted to himself, that though he was fighting at the top of his skill, it wasn't enough. He admitted that eeD would win. 

Weirdly timed with his faltering confidence, his ankle twisted beneath him and he went down. Before he could regain his feet, eeD batted his sword away, pinned him to the ground and sat on him. 

"Oh, such a valiant fight," eeD commiserated. "And so noble too. Avenging the death you were forced to inflict on your brother! Too bad you weren't skilled enough to win!" 

D struggled to push eeD off of him, spurred by the indignity of it all. eeD was utterly unmoveable. 

His features twisted up in mock sympathy, eeD considered, "What would be the best way to kill you? I know! I'll let my Right Hand have you, the same way your Left Hand took Alucard. Fitting, don't you think? Two 'brothers' sharing the same type of death? And don't worry. Right Hand will savor the energy your soul will give him for a very long time! Won't you, Right Hand?" eeD stroked Right Hand's face in a way that reminded D of one petting a cat. 

"Heh, heh, heh! Savor-flavor the whole-soul, yummy-yummy in my tummy-tummy!" Right Hand sang out as it began to drool. 

eeD lifted Right Hand up and slowly brought his flipped out version of D's parasite in toward D's face. D couldn't look away from the mad thing's eyes. He hoped that any remnant of Alucard had been senseless when he used Left Hand to kill him. The seconds stretched out interminably as D struggled to free himself. 

"You're too weak and tired. Why not just relax and enjoy the last moment of life you have?" eeD advised. "It will soon be over!" 

D ignored the taunting and struggled harder. He couldn't break free. Right Hand gently touched his cheek. A rending, agonizing pain, deeper than any he'd ever felt before, speared into him. 

"I've won! I've won!" eeD shouted. 

----------------------   
Author's notes - 

Oh, no! Whatever will D do?! 

Reviews, comments and constructive criticisms are always welcome! Please feel free to email me also if you see something awkward that needs to be clarified or fixed. I need all the help I can get! 

stargarde@stargarde.com 

Next chapter teaser - Chapter 15 - *Sorry! So sorry! This is the last cliffhanger...I promise!* 

And a question. I have a sweet (**very sweet** and you know that if I admit it, the sugar intolerant better steer clear or have insulin on hand when they read it! :P) chapter about what happened to Bat from Bat's point of view. Should I post that at the end of Insult of the Right Hand? Or should I post it on its own? If someone hasn't read Insult, it won't make any sense at all. What should I do? (Unless you plan on posting a review, please email me with suggestions since I don't want to artificially inflate the review count.) 


	15. Manus Sinister Conservato

Author's notes - 

I relented. I was going to wait until Saturday to post this chapter... *Sigh!* I simply can't torment you for that long!****

**Chapter Fifteen - Manus Sinister Conservato**

Wracked in mortal agony, D thought it was his end. He might be able to fight only weakly against his tormentor, but he wouldn't...just...give up... eeD might kill him as D had killed Alucard, and D might not be able to stop him, but he'd still fight...even as ineffective as that way... 

D rallied his strength, determined to make things hard for eeD if nothing else, when a high, clear voice shouted, "Banish!" 

"NOOOOO!!!" eeD screamed. "I was so close! So...close!" 

eeD thinned and faded. Not believing the reprieve, D sat up slowly. He took a moment to assess himself. 

He bled from dozens of cuts. None of them were lethal, but they did sap his strength. He turned his hand up and looked into Left Hand's face. The parasite's eyes were closed. He refused to open them and meet D's gaze. Left Hand appeared to have been crying, much to D's surprise. D gathered his courage and looked over to where Alucard lay. 

Alucard stretched out upon the ground where D had placed him. His silver hair fanned out and pooled around his head. The unnerving stillness, as if Alucard were an object and not a person, told D harshly in that first glance that Alucard was dead. Fairy knelt next to Alucard's shoulder, stroking his face and hair and crying piteously. D wondered if he had been right to listen to Left Hand. Maybe he should have refused and found another way. For him to have survived, at Alucard's expense, was a bitter reality D didn't want to face. 

D considered again the almost overwhelming power of eeD. D admitted Left Hand had been correct. If D could not bring himself to attack Alucard...the only way for D to survive was for Left Hand to... 

D grimaced in anguish. He used Left Hand to absorb the souls of evil beings that if allowed free would grow in power and become revenants as Carmilla had. Those souls always struggled and screamed as Left Hand ingested them. D had always considered that moment, though it was necessary to protect people from the further evil of that particular soul, as the final, fitting punishment for the evil that soul had already done. Alucard had done nothing to deserve such a fate at his hand...at his Left Hand. 

But...Left Hand had been right. If Alucard had been aware of Right Hand's control, he would have wanted D to free him, by any means necessary. 

D wondered what he should do now. Alucard would have wanted him to comfort Fairy first, he decided. 

"Fairy...I'm sorry," D told her awkwardly, kneeling next to Alucard himself. 

"You...you had to. We could see the fight, but we couldn't do anything. Master Alucard would not have wanted to attack you," Fairy told him, dashing tears out of her eyes. 

"How were you able to come here unsummoned?" D wondered aloud. 

"The others. Sword, Ghost, Demon and Bat focused all of their energy to open a door for me. We thought perhaps I could..." Fairy stopped and wailed again. "The Life Apple doesn't work though! We thought it would! Life Apple has brought Master Alucard back from death before, but now..." 

Fairy composed herself by reaching forward to stroke Alucard's cheek again. "I'll never accept another Master," she vowed softly. 

D's hand trembled as he reached out to touch Alucard's face for himself. Alucard's cheek was already cold. 

"Fairy, how did you stop eeD?" D asked, mainly to center and compose himself. 

"You know that Alucard loved you?" Fairy asked before smiling sadly. "Just a simple, pure love for his brother. He never said anything out loud, but we, his familiars, could tell. Once I realized Alucard was dead...and not coming back even with the magic of Life Apple, I thought it would be best to make certain you survived. He would have..." her voice caught, "...wanted that." 

"I took his amulet, the one with Dracula's face, and used it to craft a banish spell. eeD will never again be allowed to enter this dimension using the other half of..." 

She petered off, but D heard her unsaid words, "Alucard's amulet." 

Fairy started to weep gently again. 

"Master D, please do me a favor. Once you've...I don't even know what vampires do when one of you dies! Do you bury your dead? No matter! Once you've completed whatever it is you do for a funeral rite, will you burn our cards? We don't want another to become our Master," Fairy begged. 

D, overcome and unable to speak, nodded. 

D suddenly wondered at Left Hand's uncharacteristic silence. He knew that Left Hand, despite his teasing, held respect and affection for Alucard. It was very strange that Left Hand would be silent for so long. 

Left Hand's expression appeared the same. D could easily read the sorrow. Tears had left messy tracks down Left Hand's face. D smiled wryly. It was okay that Left Hand had cried, since D couldn't allow himself to weaken enough to weep. Left Hand could cry for him, too. He'd not even tease the parasite about it later, when he cleaned his hand. Reassured about the cause of Left Hand's silence, D turned back to regard Alucard. 

There was not a mark on him. eeD, of course, had no reason to turn his blade on his unwilling ally, and D had refused to. The reason Alucard was dead was not that the vessel of his body had been rendered useless by damage or disease, but that his soul was gone. D touched the cold cheek again, before running his hand down along Alucard's right arm. D had felt the wiry strength and skill of that arm for himself, in the synergy with his brother. The synergy, that weird but comforting connection with the battle instincts of his brother, was now as dead as Alucard. The tears he'd resolved to let Left Hand cry for him threatened to spill from his eyes. 

Fairy moaned softly, keening her loss. D knew if he looked at her he would lose his tenuous hold on his composure. Looking at Alucard was no better. D opted to look at Left Hand again. It was odd that Left Hand's restrained sorrow was easiest for D to bear. 

Again, the parasite's eyes were tightly closed. Left Hand seemed to fight some battle within itself, judging by the strain on its features. Was it that Left Hand didn't want to cry in front of D? D had seen Left Hand cry before! Or was it that Left Hand was afraid of D? After all, it had been Left Hand who insisted that Alucard must be taken out of the fight. And it was Left Hand who had done the deed! Did the parasite think that D was angry with him for that? It had to be done, Left Hand had been right, Alucard would not want to controlled by someone else. 

"You..." D said softly to Left Hand, wondering how to reassure Left Hand without distressing Fairy. Left Hand winced, the tiniest motion, a tightening of the skin around his eyes and mouth. D couldn't explain it, but that tiny motion made his thoughts go in an entirely different direction. 

D's eyes widened. It could not be possible...could it?! 

Barely daring to hope, D placed Left Hand very deliberately down on Alucard's chest. He waited, he wasn't certain for what. He felt nothing but the distressing stillness and incipient stiffening of Alucard's mortal remains. He wondered if he were wrong. 

Alucard's chest rose gently against his hand. Hardly believing it, D placed his fingers on the artery in Alucard's neck and felt the pulse flowing there, before Alucard opened his grey eyes and stared up at him in shock. 

Alucard gasped and tried to sit up. D helped him, supporting Alucard's weight while the flowing blood rushed life and feeling back into tissues that had become cold and stiff. 

"ALUCARD!" Fairy screamed. "You are all right!" she dashed forward and completely tangled herself in his hair in her delight to be near him. 

Alucard laughed at her enthusiasm and helped her to free herself. 

"Took you long enough!" Left Hand groused at D. D's eyes widened in his surprise as he fully realized what Left Hand had somehow managed to do. 

"Left Hand! You...!" Alucard gasped. 

"Shhh, my boy. No need for that now!" Left Hand advised firmly. 

"What...happened?" D asked. He could feel that Alucard didn't need his support anymore. Still...it felt right to hold him and reassure himself that Alucard really was moving and breathing and...living, again. It wasn't quite the synergy, but D could tell that Alucard wanted the reassurance of his support too. 

"Right Hand said he was using me so eeD could become 'real' in this dimension. I've had such strange dreams since coming here...it seems they happened whenever Right Hand claimed a piece of my soul. I saw you, in one of those dreams." 

Alucard glanced up into D's eyes. 

"It was strange, almost like you were a portrait or work of art and I was admiring your beauty. I waited for you to notice my beauty in turn, and you ignored it. I started to...hate you." 

D recalled the day where Alucard had glared at him the whole time, hatred glittering in his eyes. 

"I think that might have been eeD's first independent thought," Alucard cupped his chin. "Hating you somehow made him alive and gave him will. He's..." 

"My reflection," D finished. "It makes sense. Carmilla was a powerful vampire." 

"She commanded him to leave the mirror and hunt you. I saw that in a dream right before..." Alucard broke off. "The next thing I was aware of was trying to wake up, to break the most hideous nightmare I have ever had. A voice, an insane voice, talking to me, its thoughts and memories starting to enter my mind...then watching as I...attacked you. I wasn't able to stop it." 

"eeD said his Right Hand was controlling you," D told Alucard. 

Alucard nodded, "eeD was...is...a reflection of you, D. But backwards, filled with hate. Carmilla gave him the amulet and sent him to kill you. He discovered that in this one dimension, of all the ones he could get to using Dracula's amulet, he wasn't solid. He thinks it's because you are here, the original he is a reflection of. When eeD found me he thought to enrage me enough to find and kill you for him. That's why he disguised the reverse twin of the amulet that appeared when he left the mirror as your hat pin and left it in my sanctuary. When that plan didn't work, Right Hand started to take control of my soul, so that eeD would have the power to become solid here. The idea was eeD could then kill you himself. He used me...to get to you." 

"It was horrible! I could see, I watched as Right Hand forced me to attack you!" Alucard cried out, reaching out and almost touching one of the wounds he'd been forced to inflict on D. "I couldn't break free. eeD hates you very much." 

"I couldn't beat him," D admitted softly. "If I could have, I never would have let Left Hand...ingest you." 

"I think that might have been the only way," Alucard reflected. "Right Hand is very strong. I couldn't break his control." 

"So Left Hand absorbed your soul and took you away completely." 

"Yes." 

"I've never seen Left Hand absorb someone for so long, and not destroy them," D pondered. 

"It's vast, inside Left Hand. A vast, dark place. And he...doesn't look like this. At least...I don't think so. My memory is hazy...but there's a void in him. I could see others..." Alucard shuddered, "on the edge of the void, suffering as they were dissolving slowly, ribbons of energy flowing back to feed Left Hand. Hundreds of others..." 

D looked into his palm and reflected that he knew almost nothing of the parasite in his hand. 

"What prevented that from happening to you?" 

"Left Hand did. I was dragged toward the void like all the others, but if I got too close, Left Hand would reach forward somehow and and pull me back. It took...a great effort on his part to do so..." Alucard admitted. 

"I feed on anything I ingest," Left Hand explained serenely. "And souls are the most sustaining of all. But your soul...D'd get upset at me if I let anything happen to you, Lambchop!" 

"Hey!" Alucard protested half-heartedly. 

"...I feel...kinda weak..." Left Hand muttered. 

Left Hand's eyes fluttered and closed. A spasm of alarm crossed D's face. He cradled Left Hand with his right and stared at him intently. 

"Is...is he all right?" Alucard asked reaching forward boldly to brush his fingers against Left Hand's face. 

"I think so. I think he's sleeping," D finally realized. 

Alucard laughed, to ease his tension. "Oh! Where is eeD?" he asked suddenly, looking around apprehensively. 

----------------------   
Author's notes - 

It wasn't planned, but I like the symmetry of having Alucard's Fairy save D, while D's Left Hand saves Alucard! 

During the rewrite I need to make it a bit clearer (without getting too sappy) that when Fairy tells D that Alucard loves him, it is the love of a brother for a brother, not anything shounen. 

Reviews, comments and constructive criticisms are always welcome! Please feel free to email me also if you see something awkward that needs to be clarified or fixed. I need all the help I can get! 

stargarde@stargarde.com 

Next chapter teaser - Chapter 16 - Parting Ways 


	16. Parting Ways

Author's notes - 

I didn't want to write this chapter. *Sniffle* 

**Chapter Sixteen - Parting Ways**

"eeD almost had me," D admitted. "Fairy banished him." 

"She did?!" Alucard turned and looked at his familiar. "You did? How?" 

"Your amulet. I was able to make it so he can't enter this world ever again with his amulet." 

"So this is the one world that's safe from him," Alucard realized. 

"Don't worry. There are more than enough vampires here already," D noted laconically. "He won't be missed." 

Alucard laughed, a rueful sound with no mirth in it. 

"Sit," he commanded, pointing to a conveniently placed rock. 

D stared at him. 

"You're hurt. Yeah, I know you're regenerating even as we speak, but you should still rest. How often does he," Alucard's gaze flicked briefly down to Left Hand, "actually go to sleep on you like this?" 

D stared at him dourly for a long moment. Alucard grinned before D gratefully sat down. Alucard's grin faded. 

"I'll set up camp," he said. 

"Why?" 

"You didn't argue enough. You're more hurt than I realized," Alucard told D quietly. 

Alucard pulled a card out from its hidden pocket in his cloak. Sword floated down. 

"Guard D," Alucard commanded. "Don't let anything near him!" 

"So now I'm a nursemaid?!" Sword protested as he floated over to take position behind D. Alucard narrowed his eyes at his familiar before stepping off to find firewood. 

D would have smiled if he had the energy. He closed his eyes instead. 

Hours later the stars greeted his eyes when he opened them again. So did the tip of Alucard's sword. 

"I thought something was attacking," Alucard said aloud. D sat up. Alucard returned to his bedroll on the other side of the fire. 

"Left Hand snores," Alucard told D disgustedly. 

"If he's snoring he's probably recovered," D noted. He felt much better himself. 

"Great. Nothing like his sarcasm for breakfast," Alucard crossed his arms behind his head and looked at D. 

"Tell me about Carmilla's castle. What happened there?" Alucard suddenly asked. For some reason, instead of ignoring the request as Alucard half expected, D did tell him. Alucard was amazed by both the details D related, and his matter of fact attitude about it. 

"Wow," Alucard replied when D was finished. 

"Do you know if Meier ever looked into the same mirror you did?" 

D thought about it. "I didn't see him look at the mirror, but it was prominently placed. He probably did." 

Alucard thought about that for a while, mulling through the confused memories his dreams and his encounter with Right Hand had left him with. 

"I think the dream I had of drinking blood, that made me think to try it on Bat, was from Meier's memories. They were full of such guilt. I think...he really did love Charlotte." 

"Why didn't you find some way to go after them? Or stop Meier before he left? Charlotte might have revived, like Bat did," Alucard asked. 

He thought D would ignore his question, he stayed silent for so long. 

"If she did, I don't think they would ever return. They fought so hard for it, if they found a way to love each other, they should be allowed to enjoy it in peace." 

"Hmm." 

"Well, it's still a few hours before dawn. It's a couple days more to this town you need to get to, right? We should sleep." 

******** 

"I SAID not to mention it!" Left Hand demanded unreasonably. And loudly. 

"But..." Alucard protested. There was so much he wanted to learn about the parasite, mainly how and WHY he had saved Alucard from Right Hand. 

"Just shut up about it already. You're makin' me blush! If I thought for one minute that D would let me get away with it, I'd devour your soul right now!" Left Hand growled. "Such a sweet and tasty tidbit!" 

"I warned you to leave him alone," D pointed out mildly. 

"I'm a puppet to one parasite, a snack to the other...my own familiars yell at me..." Alucard groused. "I wonder if I have anyone's respect anymore!" 

D graced Alucard with a rare, genuine smile. "You've got mine. Ignore him. If he didn't tease you, I'd be worried." 

******** 

"It's not hard. We can track him," Fairy told Alucard later. D had gone into town to retrieve his horse from a highly specialized repair shop. "As long as eeD has the other half of this amulet, we can find him anywhere!" 

"And he can find us," Alucard pointed out. 

"Demon and Ghost are working on that," Fairy said. 

"And the other project?" 

"Already done! I like your brother, Alucard. I should be able to come to his side at a moment's notice no matter what dimension we are in!" Fairy told Alucard positively. 

"Good! When I think I can win and we track eeD down for the final battle, I want D there. If something unexpected were to happen, I know he'd have my back." 

"But, Alucard...I don't want anything to happen to you!" 

Alucard invited Fairy to sit on his shoulder. "Me either. If you can get to D from any dimension quickly enough, and I can somehow bring him to where I am with the amulet, it's less likely something's going to happen to me, right?" 

"D won't let anything bad happen to you!" Fairy declared. 

"Yeah, he's rather reliable that way, isn't he?" 

"And Left Hand's not that bad...once you get to know him," Fairy continued. 

"I still wish I could muzzle that thing!" Alucard muttered under his breath.   


********

Alucard thought D's mount, a cyborg, demonic-appearing horse, was oddly suited to his brother. Along with his horse, D had accepted a retainer for a new mission in the town. An unspoken invitation to go with D lay between them. Alucard knew he would be welcome, an honor he suspected very few people shared. D, like himself, was a loner. 

He knew he could learn much traveling with D. He wished strongly that he had that luxury. But eeD was still out there. Alucard knew that eeD was still fixated on killing D, for until he did, eeD would not feel as if he were 'real'. As long as D existed, eeD was still just a reflection and Alucard knew, from the memories he was forced to bear, that eeD couldn't stand that D still lived. eeD would find another way to come here and kill D if he could. 

Alucard couldn't forget that first meeting either. eeD had boasted that he wanted children in every dimension that Dracula had ever been. There seemed to be something sinister in that plan and Alucard wanted to find the reason. Heck, he just wanted to stop eeD. eeD planned to kill D, he was evil, he was preying on humans... 

Alucard had to admit the reason he most wanted to stop eeD wasn't noble. Sure, he did want to protect humans from this evil, reversed version of his brother; he wanted to save D and the dimensions and all the other honorable and noble reasons too, but his main reason for wanting to stop eeD was... 

...Right Hand. The damn thing had bitten him! And then dared to control him, using him to attack his brother! 

"I should go," D said. He'd finished packing his provisions on, and in, his horse. 

"You are..." 

"No," Alucard stopped D from uttering his invitation. "I'd like to keep traveling with you but..." 

"Fine. I will send you home. Give me the amulet," D interrupted in turn. 

"No," Alucard protested. "Thanks to Fairy this is the one dimension eeD can't get to. Besides, you have your destiny here." 

"But, eeD is me, or based on me. He is my responsibility," D replied. 

Alucard shook his head. "Your responsibility is here, D. You've got to protect the people of this world from the vampires here. I would just sleep and wait for Castlevania to rise again anyway. Instead of sleeping until then, I'll deal with eeD, that's all." 

D looked at his brother. Alucard's face was set in flinty lines. D found himself exasperated with his brother's resolve. He didn't want to admit it, but he had become fond of Alucard. 

"You can't beat eeD, Alucard," D stated it baldly. 

"I know I can't. Not yet. But I can travel to different dimensions and learn just as he did. And who knows? Somehow I bet there are more siblings out there like us than like him. I bet they will be willing to help." 

"I could just take the amulet away from you," D noted, stroking his chin thoughtfully. 

Alucard slashed a look at D through narrowed eyes. He wasn't entirely certain, but he thought that D might be teasing him. 

"You could try," he replied before shifting into his poisonous, sulfur-yellow mist form. 

"No way I'm trying to ingest THAT!" Left Hand told D emphatically. "He'd give me a stomachache!" 

D laughed. 

"Okay, Alucard! You win." 

Alucard resumed his normal form. 

"I know eeD is dangerous. I won't try to fight him until I'm sure I can win. But...he claims to want a child in every world that Dracula has ever been to. I need to find the reason for that. I think he wants to be like Father. You and I both know that Dracula did things on many worlds not quite so innocent as having children. It won't be long...before eeD branches out to massacres, or worse, in his twisted attempt to be like Dracula." 

"I will stop him," Alucard stated quietly. 

"Once you leave..." D began. "I have no way to travel the dimensions as you do. I will not be able to help." 

Alucard smiled. 

"Somehow, D, I am certain our paths will cross again! Besides," Alucard looked directly and firmly into D's eyes, "once I've learned enough and I'm certain I know how to beat eeD, I want to use the synergy with you to take him out for good. He abused it, by using it, and me, against you. I want to show him that was his most fatal mistake!" Alucard's eyes blazed red. 

D stared at his brother for a long time. 

"Remind me, Alucard," D told Alucard as he swung up into his horse's saddle. He gathered the reins between his hands and turned to regard his brother again. "To never get on your bad side." 

Alucard watched after his brother as D rode away. There had been so many painful good-byes in his life; his mother, Trevor Belmont, Maria Reynard, to name just the most memorable ones. His relationship with his father, Dracula, was so tangled he didn't even know if he hated his father...or loved him. Or both. 

He'd take care of eeD. He'd do it because D couldn't without abandoning the humans of his world to the depredations of the vampires here. He'd do it because otherwise, he'd just sleep until Castlevania rose, summoning him to strive against Dracula again. He'd do it to avenge the insult of the Right Hand, thinking it could pit him against his brother. eeD and Right Hand would never understand that though their blood flowed in different dimensions, D and Alucard were still brothers. The blood of Dracula that they shared, their destinies that complimented each other and the synergy that had appeared between them, maybe bound them even more closely than brothers. 

"What are you thinking, Master Alucard?" Fairy asked. 

"I'm thinking that I'm going to make sure that Right Hand bit off more than he could chew," Alucard replied. He touched the amulet he now wore pinned to his cloak. "Let's go home." 

~end~ 

-------------   
Author's notes - 

Yes, this is the end of the story. The title? The "Insult" is that Right Hand exists at all, and continues to exist. Don't worry though, Alucard will keep tabs on eeD while he learns more about eeD, Right Hand, Dracula and himself on his travels through the dimensions. A new story is already cooking in my mind somewhere (can't you smell the smoke? :P). However, it has to wait its turn! I have two short stories (based on this one) to inflict upon you first! D's story is rather angsty (but has a few fun elements in it) and as for Alucard...all the stops are off in Alucard's story! ^_^ 

The next "Chapter" to this story is the pivotal moments from Chapter Twelve from Bat's point of view. 

Reviews, comments and constructive criticisms are always welcome! Please feel free to email me also if you see something awkward that needs to be clarified or fixed. I need all the help I can get! 

stargarde@stargarde.com 


	17. Extra Chapter Chapter 12 from Bat's pov...

Author's notes - 

This little chapter is an apology for the nasty trick I pulled in the author's notes in Chapter Twelve. It's the pivotal moments from Chapter Twelve from Bat's point of view. 

The word 'omake' roughly translates into 'something extra', almost like a gift, in Japanese. 

**Bat Omake - True Names**

The Master Bat! 

Here! He was here! Under his wings is where she wanted most to be! Despite the restraint imposed inside by Fairy, she HAD to get to his side, to be next to him. She PULLED with all her might and...and she was there as close to nestling under his wing as an airborne creature could manage. 

"Master Alucard!" Fairy gasped as she fell toward the ground. 

She could understand human speech even better than she had before. The Master Bat she loved so much that she almost couldn't think straight while he was around regarded her. His eyes glowed a soft red. His expression was curiously soft too, before his form blurred and changed. The tall silver-haired man who was somehow connected to her handsome bat appeared. Fairy, her very best friend of all, put her hands on her hips as she floated in the air and glared at him as if she were upset. 

She suddenly realized that what Fairy had tried to tell her so many times was true! The handsome man she helped by attacking creatures that came too close to him WAS her Master Bat! He was just a different form her Master Bat could take! She already knew that Master Bat was the strongest, handsomest and smartest bat of all, now she knew he was also the most magical! How wonderful that he could assume human form! And from the perceptions she had shared with Fairy in the merge, she knew he was just as handsome as a human to humans as he was as a bat to her. 

Frustrated that though she could understand human speech she couldn't utter it, she fluttered all about Master Bat's human-seeming head in her delight at realizing his nature. He WAS her Master Bat! 

She noticed his eyes were grey in his human form as he smiled at her and patted his shoulder. She shivered as she landed. She couldn't help but stroke her head along his cheek, delighted to be so near him. Her Master Bat! How clever he was! 

"It worked," he said calmly. She thrilled to feel his deep voice reverberating through his frame before she realized what he'd said. Worked?! He had done that on purpose?! He wanted her separated from Fairy?! Oh! He did care for her! 

"You did that...on purpose?!" Fairy demanded. "Why?! Now Bat will age and die! The scroll Demon used was consumed in the spell. He can't cast it again!" 

Oh...Fairy was worried about her all over again! She wished she could tell Fairy she didn't mind at all, as long as she could help her Master Bat before she 'aged' and 'died'. Fairy had told her that she would eventually hurt so much she couldn't fly any more (that was 'aging') and someday, she simply wouldn't be anymore (that was 'dying'), but that didn't matter to her. What mattered was being near her Master Bat, and helping him again. 

"Trust me," Master Bat advised mildly, "Now, stay here with D for a moment. I need to talk with Bat privately." 

He reached a hand up to stroke her wings while he walked off. She shivered again. Fairy's complicated thoughts weren't bothering her. She could simply delight in the gentle touch and know...that all was right again. 

She did want to thank Fairy for what she had done. Because of it, she now understood her Master Bat even better than before! She should have realized he could turn into a human before Fairy pointed it out to her. Fairy never said it, or even thought it, really, but she knew she was more stupid than Fairy. She hoped her being stupid didn't upset Master Bat. 

"Bat," Master Bat said, taking her off of his shoulder. Oh, yes. 'Bat' was what everyone called her. It was okay, she had no way to tell them her true name. "I'm very grateful that Fairy and Demon decided to save you. I never realized you were mortal and could die of old age." 

Wow! Fairy must really be smart if she helped Master Bat with things like that! He was worried about the same things Fairy worried about. 

"I also never knew that you...love me," Master Bat continued. 

She went very still in his hands. She wished Fairy hadn't told him that! Master Bat was...a dream she knew she could never attain. She had been content to love him from afar, without his realizing it, before Fairy had told him her secret. Would he send her away now that he knew? Was he insulted that a creature as stupid and useless as she dared to love him? Oh! If only Fairy hadn't told him! She would want to 'die' if she wasn't allowed near Master Bat anymore! 

But...his touch was still gentle as he stroked her wings. 

"You need to know that I love you too," Master Bat said. 

She shivered at that! He...did?! 

"I love all of you, Fairy, Demon, Ghost, Sword and you. All of you help me. All of you are my friends. I care for all of you." 

Oh. She felt a little stupid again. Master Bat was the center of her world. Fairy was her best friend, Demon, Sword and Ghost were other friends, and she had the bats who would come when she called to fly with Master Bat too, but he was the most important. He was smart enough that he could have many of them in the center of his world. She considered. She wanted to be the only one, but if she were there at all, if she mattered to him enough that he loved her, it was enough! She stroked her head along his hand. 

"Ah!" Master Bat said aloud. "I'm sad though. Do you understand why Demon merged you with Fairy?" 

She remembered the odd things she had learned from Fairy. If she shook her head, she could say "Yes" in a way Master Bat would understand. She shook her head. 

He smiled. "But now, apart from Fairy, you will die again." Master Bat's human eyes were very, very soft. 

"I don't want you to die." 

That did it! If he didn't want her to 'die', she wouldn't! She pulled back her wings to show her resolution. 

He was watching her closely. 

"You can't help but die. You are a mortal creature," Master Bat told her. 

Fairy had thought the same words. She never quite understood what Fairy meant, since Fairy was so much smarter than she was. She felt very sad that she was going to disappoint Master Bat. She huddled sadly in her wings. 

"I think I can...help you," he said softly. "I think, maybe, I can change you so you aren't mortal anymore." 

She shook her head "Yes!" as hard as she could! How wonderful Master Bat was! He could make her better so she wouldn't disappoint him! And her best friend Fairy, and her other friends Demon, Ghost and Sword could stop being worried about her too! 

"It's risky. I have to...kill you," Master Bat admitted. 

Kill...her?! Kill was bad! Master Bat wanted to kill her?! 

"I am...a dhampir. Half-vampire. If, as a bat, I kill you as a vampire does, maybe you would become a bat who is immortal the way a vampire is." 

Dhampir? Is that what Master Bat was? Im-mor-tal...that was the word Fairy used. Fairy was immortal, that's why she had Demon merge them together. 

"You might stay dead though. I might kill you and you would stay...killed." 

Killed? Her, killed? Oh! Is that what 'dead' and 'die' meant?! Killed and being killed?! 

She had never thought about it before. She had probably been too stupid to, before Demon merged her with Fairy. If 'die' meant being killed, then she knew she would die someday. It was the way of things. She would probably attack some monster that was fast enough to swipe at her and she'd fall with broken wings and die on some dungeon floor somewhere. If she were lucky, Master Bat might pick her up and hold her while she died if he were in his human form, or swoop down and hover over her if he were Master Bat. At least, she thought that would be how she would want to die. 

But Master Bat kill her?! On purpose?! He was so much bigger and stronger than she, and she loved him so much she knew she'd never be able to fight back if he wanted to kill her. Why?! Why would he even think of it?! 

"I had a dream...where I acted like a vampire, taking the blood of the woman I loved, knowing that it might change her into what I was..." Master Bat told her slowly. "It made me think. If I took your blood the same way, maybe I can change you to be like me a little. You might then become immortal and not die of old age." 

Oh! So he didn't WANT to kill her, he HAD to! That made all the difference! He didn't want to kill her, he wanted to make her immortal. If Master Bat made her immortal, she wouldn't disappoint him or worry her friends anymore. She looked up at him and nodded. 

"Do you really understand?" Master Bat asked softly. "I will have to kill you. You might never...wake up again." 

She nodded again. If she had to die, what better way was there? She knew Master Bat wasn't TRYING to kill her, and she would have her wish, he'd be there when she died. She just hoped it wouldn't hurt too much...and that she'd be strong enough to not try to attack Master Bat back. 

"You are smarter than you used to be," Master Bat noted. Really? She was?! 

"I really hope this works!" Master Bat said fervently. "I'm going to change into a bat again and roost over there. Perch next to me, as close as you can," he grinned, "and try not to be afraid. I will be as gentle as I possibly can!" he promised. He opened his hand. She fluttered into the air and watched as he shimmered and took on his true appearance of her Master Bat again. 

What he had said and what she agreed to suddenly made her realize that this might be the last time she ever got to see him again. If he killed her and she stayed dead...she'd never get to fly by his side, summon other bats to fly with them, attack a creature threatening him in his human form, breathe fire in unison with him in his bat form... 

Master Bat was huge, large enough in fact to still be able to wear a sword! That had amazed her the first time she'd seen it. He could change the color of his wings too. That was how she'd known Master Bat was very magical. The angle of his head, the way his fangs curved just so, the arc of his wings in flight, how big and strong and swift he was...she loved every single thing about him! The fact this might be the last time she'd ever get to see him made her very sad. 

But her friends worried about her. And Master Bat worried too. It was right to do what he wanted. Even if it hurt, he didn't MEAN to hurt her. She reminded herself that he told her to not be afraid. 

He perched on a tree and after a moment, she did too. Shyly she sidestepped nearer and nearer, ready to drop and fly if Master Bat shifted in displeasure at her closeness. Only after she was pressed right up against his side, did he move, and that was to open one wing and wrap it around her. 

Oh! This was wonderful! She shivered in delight, willingly moving where the gentle pressure of his wing led, until he had turned her to face him. Her Master Bat mantled her in both of his wings. 

His glowing red eyes were incredibly soft, speaking volumes of the hope and regret he felt. His fear that he might hurt her, and his fear that she might truly die never to wake up again were easy to read. His hope also shone bright in his eyes along with a soft light...that she thought and hoped and dreamed was his love for her. 

Made very bold by all he had said, by the haven he'd made for her in his wings and by the love she saw in his eyes, she stroked her head along his and nestled trustingly in his wings. 

OH! Bliss! For his head stroked back along hers! Master Bat held her thus for a long, rapturous moment. He pulled back his head part way... 

...and bit into her neck. She couldn't help but cringe from the pain of it, though Master Bat's wings held her firmly to him. The pain lessened and she stilled, content within his wings. Darkness crept slowly upon her, a darkness she knew Master Bat invited. If it was what he wanted...it was okay. She didn't fight against the darkness, slipping quietly from Master Bat's embrace...into the outstretched arms of the darkness. 

******** 

She could tell she was in someone's hands. She couldn't see at all. 

"What have we here? Hmmm?" 

The voice was not that of Master Bat! What was going on?! 

"Oh, don't panic, little one. I won't hurt you," the voice was even deeper than Master Bat's voice. It seemed colder too. 

"'Colder'? What a strange thing for one such as you to think!" 

The voice knew her thoughts?! It was too much! At least when Fairy and she were merged it was a friend, her best friend, who knew her thoughts. She didn't even know who this strange voice was! 

"So indignant you are!" the voice chuckled. "But if I didn't read your mind how would I learn anything about you?" it asked reasonably. "Think at me who you are and what happened to bring you here, if you please, so I can decide what to do with you!" 

Even though she didn't want to, she found she had to. There was no pain, but she couldn't help but obey the strange voice. 

"I see," it finally said. "If not for the fact he is an excellent, and deadly, swordsman, he would be such a sentimental fool!" 

He? He who? Master Bat? Was the voice speaking badly about HER Master Bat?! She hissed. 

"Oh, ho!" the voice laughed. "So you would defend him even against me?! I like your spirit, Bat!" 

She hissed again. Only her friends were allowed to call her that! 

"Oh, you don't know it yet, but I am a friend too. I like this plan of Alucard's. I will allow it to work as he intended, his siring you to become a Vampire bat. After all, I must personally approve all new things dealing with vampires." The voice seemed less cold to her. 

"Of course, there are a few details he didn't stop to think through!" the voice continued. "I suppose I can fix those for him. You've put me in a good mood, Bat! I will help you!" 

Suddenly, she could see. The man holding her was older than Master Bat. Even she, humble, mortal creature that she was, could sense the immense power in the man. Her awareness of it seemed to please him. He had silvery-white hair, even lighter than Master Bat's hair when he was in his human form. His eyes glowed a soft red, that reminded her very strongly of her Master Bat's eyes, when he was a bat. 

"I can be a bat too. Perhaps you will see it sometime," he muttered. "For now, let's see what I can do for you. I see no reason why you should not have an immortal span, as Alucard...ahem, 'Master Bat' intended. But I sense you are too gentle to bear the bloodthirst. In that way, you should remain as you are and not be changed." 

She didn't understand exactly what the man was saying, but it seemed as if he knew what Master Bat wanted and was trying to help. 

"A slight increase in intelligence would be in order! You aren't quite becoming one of us, but nothing says you must be hindered by the intellect of a natural animal any longer!" 

At his words the concepts that she had been struggling so hard to understand became clearer. She knew she still wasn't as smart as Fairy, but she no longer felt completely, helplessly stupid either. 

"I'd say that's about right!" the man declared. He still brimmed with a cold, fearsome power, but now she noticed the hint of a smile on his lips and a twinkle in his eye. She sensed he was speaking the truth about helping her and Master Bat too. He chuckled, amused by something. 

"Fly for me, little one," he commanded, lifting and opening his hands. She flew out into the room. She'd been so intent on this mysterious man she had paid no attention at all to her surroundings. The chamber was large and airy, and filled with the gentle, restful light of candles. It reminded her of the place full of monsters where she had first answered Master Bat's summons. She completed one circuit of the room and paused, almost stalling in the air as she found herself flying toward the man again. He patted his shoulder, just like Master Bat had done. She suddenly felt a little sad at the memory. 

"Don't worry. You will see him again soon!" the man promised as she landed on his shoulder. "Hmmm." The man cupped his chin and pondered. He squinted his gaze sideways to look at her. Finally, he reached up and gently took her into his hands again. 

"I'll use your 'Master Bat' as my model. You will be bigger, stronger, and faster, like he is, but not quite as big, strong or fast. He still has to be the best!" 

That was fine with her! She would never dare to think she was better than Master Bat in anything!   
  
"Oh, but you are! You are more agile than he is, especially in the air. I will enhance that too. Heh, heh! Alucard needs a curve ball or two to keep him from getting a swelled head!" 

She'd never think Master Bat was over-confident in anything! 

"Do you realize you knew I was talking about 'Master Bat' and understood my metaphor without effort? You will be a one-of-a-kind Vampire Bat!" the man's eyes twinkled furiously at her. 

'Vampire' bat? Isn't that what Master Bat had said he was...half-vampire? 

"He is. And you will be too. More or less. I probably should have done this a long time ago, when I first placed the card and chose you to answer its summons," the man sighed sadly. "The legend in Alucard's world does not allow me to be nice to him very often. I'm pleased that your predicament did allow me to..." the man's voice petered out. 

"Bah! I'm becoming as soft as that boy!" he suddenly derided himself. 

She thought she understood. He had been nice to her. She wished she could tell him how much she appreciated that in some way. She stretched, thinking to stroke her head along his hand... 

He chuckled and pet her head. 

"Frustrating for you, isn't it? Not being able to speak..." he stared off into space for a moment. "A gift then, just for you. It has nothing to do with 'Master Bat's' wishes or hopes for you, it is only for you that I do it, because you amuse me. You will find you have a way to speak with your Master Bat! Don't mention me to him, okay? This is our secret!" 

"The changes are almost done. It is time for you to pass again through the darkness," the man told her. 

The darkness?! She was only able to bear it before because Master Bat was the one who placed her into it...how could she face that darkness alone?! 

"You aren't alone," the man told her. "I'm not your 'Master Bat' but I am like him in a few ways," he smiled deeply, showing his fangs for the first time. "Not that I will bite you. There is no need. Simply close your eyes and rest in my hands. I promise, you will wake up in your Master Bat's hands instead!" 

She looked into his eyes for a very long moment. He was powerful, very powerful, and rather scary. But she thought...perhaps he was kind too. A veiled kindness, hard to see, but kindness, nonetheless. And she did want to see Master Bat again. Maybe the darkness wouldn't be so bad...if Master Bat were at the end of it...she closed her eyes. 

******** 

She heard voices. Fairy's soft tone was almost shrill with upset. The deeper tone of Master Bat's friend was quiet and low. She gathered her strength as she listened before finally opening her eyes. 

She stayed very still as joy washed over her. Master Bat, in his human form again, held her in his hands as she had been promised. Here was the place in the world she most wanted to be, or at Master Bat's side, when he was a bat, partially under his wing as they flew. 

But he seemed so sad! Why was that? Oh...he thought she was still dead, didn't he? How silly he was! He was her Master Bat, of course he wouldn't allow her to die! She had to somehow turn his attention away from the argument between Fairy and Left Hand so he would know everything worked as he wanted, but he held her so awkwardly! Her wings were completely pinned and she was on her back in his hands! Finally, she just turned her head up a little and licked his chin. 

Master Bat's eyes were huge when he looked down at her. They got so wide and soft when he saw her. She wanted nothing more than to thank him for the daring he'd taken, and his wonderfulness, and his intelligence and... 

The most intense feeling she'd even had in her life tore through her! 

"Hungry!" 

"BAT!" Master Bat hugged her tightly, but carefully too, not pinning her wings against her this time. 

"BAT!!! She's okay, she's okay!" Fairy danced through the air. 

She was happy to see her friend so happy, and ecstatic to see Master Bat again, but those feelings paled against the ravening emptiness inside her! Now that she was close enough, she stroked her head along Master Bat's cheek to show her pleasure at being with him again, but he had to help her with this empty feeling RIGHT NOW! 

"HUNGRY!" she demanded insistently. 

Master Bat laughed, "Okay, okay! D, I've got to take the little one out for a hunt. She's famished." 

"Go," Master Bat's friend agreed. She delighted that Master Bat once again assumed his true form. She darted over to take her accustomed place under his wing, matching wing beats automatically with him as she did so. She was used to following Master Bat and willingly flew alongside him as they left his brother and Fairy behind. 

"I was so worried!" Master Bat said aloud. "So very worried that I had killed you. I know father would think I'm too soft and sentimental, but I'm glad...glad you are back!" 

"Hungry! Food, then talk!" she insisted. 

"Bat! I 'heard' that! Not quite with my ears...how can I understand you?!" Master Bat asked. 

"Hunnnngry!" Why wouldn't he understand?! She was delighted that she could speak with him directly, and she was more than willing to talk with him all he wanted once she didn't feel like her wings would collapse into the empty hole inside of her, but why wouldn't he realize that she had to eat NOW?! 

"Hungry?" Master Bat asked curiously. "Not thirsty?" 

"No! Hungry!" she insisted. 

"What do you want to eat?" 

Just then, she spied something appealing and turned a quick wingflip to chase after it. 

"Wha...? Where'd you go?!" Master Bat asked from high above her. He dove to follow her as she scooped up the bug that caught her attention. 

"Mmm!" 

Something else wandered into her range. She lost track of all the different tastes as she devoured any insect foolish enough to get close to her. Finally, the intense need to eat began to abate. 

"I never realized how acrobatic you are in the air," Master Bat admitted. She preened a bit at his praise. 

"Are you still hungry?" he asked. 

"A little," she admitted shyly. 

"Let me show you something. I have a feeling you can do this now too." 

Master Bat hovered until a moth fluttered in front of him. She could feel the waves that Master Bat sent out. She watched as the moth was struck by those waves and faltered out of the air. Compelled by her hunger, she dove down to consume the hapless moth. 

"You are still hungry!" Master Bat laughed. "You try it!" 

Huh? Try it...the power he used to stun the moth? If he told her to, she'd try... 

She dove down after the insect the waves SHE sent out stunned from the air and gobbled it up. He was right! She could now use another power of Master Bat's! And...she didn't have to use it at exactly the same time he did as with the fire-breath! 

"It's called 'Force of Echo'. I think it's how you are able to talk with me," Master Bat told her. "I know it's how I'm talking with you now. I can 'hear' it while in my dhampir form too. That's odd." 

"I didn't know exactly what would happen, when I bit you. Are you...happy with what's happened?" Master Bat asked her hesitantly. 

"Very happy!" she replied. "I know that Fairy and the others were very worried about me! Once Fairy told you, I could tell you were worried too. I still don't understand it all, but if no one is worried about me anymore, it is good." 

"I'm not worried anymore," Master Bat said softly. 

"And...because of it, I'm even better friends with Fairy than I was before and I understand things better and can help more and now I can...talk with you," she finished shyly. "That is the best good of all, Master Bat." 

"'Master Bat'?" Master Bat asked. 

"That is who you are. I never realized until Fairy told me and even then I still didn't really understand it until today, that you can actually become different things. Mist and wolf and human. That used to confuse me. You are the most magical bat I've ever met, Master Bat!" 

"Oh!" Master Bat seemed stunned. 

"So you think this and not this," Master Bat shimmered into his human shape again, "is my real form?" he asked, holding out a hand for her to land on. 

"Of course! You are the Master Bat after all!" she replied as she obeyed. 

"I see," he smiled down at her before looking into the distance for a long moment. 

"I suppose I could try to explain, but it makes no difference and it makes you happy," Master Bat finally looked down at her and smiled again. "Do me one favor though?" 

"Of course! All you have to do is ask, Master Bat!" she shifted nervously. She could do something for him? That was wonderful! 

"Use my name. I am Alucard," he told her. 

"'Alucard'...Fairy calls you that," she noted. 

He nodded. "Yes, it is my name." 

"Can I call you 'Master Bat' once in a while?" she asked plaintively. "Calling you by your name...Fairy is smart enough to use it, Sword and Demon also, and your silent brother and the noisy creature in his hand too, but I am just a simple, stupid thing..." 

"Stupid?" Master Bat...Alucard demanded. "You aren't stupid!" 

"I always try to help but I wonder if I am any help at all," her wings drooped just a little. Master Bat's hand came up to stroke them. 

"Do you remember what I told you before?" he asked gently. "You are important to me. I care for you. Bat, you do help me. You are the only one who calls others to help me. Fairy is very smart, and she can help me with spells during battle, but she never attacks anything. Sword and Ghost...attacking things is all they do. Demon likes to find things to meddle with, and sometimes, if he feels like it, he attacks monsters. When I have to be a bat..." 

"Master Bat," she interrupted softly. 

"...Master Bat," he grinned at her, "It is nice to have you fly with me, along with your friends. You never get in my way and you always make my attacks more powerful. And when I am in this form," he indicated himself with his free hand, "you often attack monsters before I can even reach them. That is very helpful indeed!" 

"You are quite helpful to me, Bat. I'd be pleased if you would use my name...most of the time. You can call me 'Master Bat' if you want, once in a while, since it makes you so happy," he finished. 

"Master Alucard..." she began hesitantly. 

"Yes, Bat?" he smiled that she had used his name. 

"My name isn't 'Bat' either. I know that's how everyone thinks of me, since that's what I am, but I have a name too," she admitted. 

"Really? Can I know what it is?" He pulled her close. She didn't know exactly when she started to think his grey, human eyes were so beautiful, but she loved how mild and gentle they appeared to her now. Maybe it was because she had been merged with Fairy who knew such things. Or maybe it was that she was more intelligent now, just as the powerful man in the realm beyond the darkness had promised. She could see for herself that Master Bat, Alucard, was just as handsome in his human form as he was in his bat one. 

Her heart fluttered in her almost painfully. She'd not been called by her real name for so long, she didn't know if she could get used to responding to it again. Maybe Alucard would think it was silly. Maybe she'd tell him and he'd still just call her 'Bat'. That would be okay, she supposed. She knew he thought of her differently than all other bats even if he never used her name. 

"It's..." She told him her name. 

He blinked. "That's lovely," Alucard told her. 

"But, do you know what?" he asked. 

She shook her head 'No'. He thought her name was pretty?! 

"I can't even pronounce that in this form," he lifted his wrist in the silent cue for her to fly. He shifted to his true form again. 

She might be able to see Alucard's beauty in his human form for herself now, but she'd always think he was most handsome as her Master Bat. She couldn't help but answer that attraction and dart over to fly just under his wing. He turned his head and regarded her with softly glowing, beautiful red eyes. She noticed how even though she was larger than she'd ever been before, Master Bat's wing cupped over her a little more than it used to on each wing beat. 

"We should go back to the others," Master Bat, no...Alucard, suggested softly. He then uttered her name. 

------------- 

I could probably translate it... 

...but that is a secret best left untold! ^_^ 

-------------   
Author's notes - 

I know, I know! It's over the top treacly sweet! I'm going to have to write something dark, dire and horribly angsty, with lots of gratuitous death and destruction and dreadful despair if I want to be taken as a serious writer. Maybe I should go over dose on Egdar Allan Poe to get me in the right mindset again. :P 

What the heck is Bat's name? I have no idea what to call her, so I decided to leave it up to each reader's imagination. But this is me...you know I had to tease you in the story about it! Heh, heh! 

The center section somehow appeared as I was writing...you-know-who just had to show up! (Who am I to tell him 'No'?!) And...(I don't believe it! What is it with these vampires?) there's another 'Bat' story begging to be written! 

Reviews, comments and constructive criticisms are always welcome! Please feel free to email me also if you see something awkward that needs to be clarified or fixed. I need all the help I can get! 

stargarde@stargarde.com   
  



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